ISLAMABAD: In compliance with the Supreme Court orders, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has taken over Monal and La Montana restaurants located in Margalla Hills National Park to demolish the buildings and restore the affected area to its natural habitat.

In this regard, the Wildlife Board has requested the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to provide heavy equipment and manpower for the demolition of these restaurants. According to sources, the IWMB was looking for machinery to remove the structure and debris.

“Now that IWMB has successfully taken possession, we are preparing for demolition of the buildings to comply with the Supreme Court order. In this regard, we respectfully request for provision of required machinery and personnel… through the Machinery Procurement Office (MPO) of CDA or any other appropriate means,” the IWMB’s letter dated September 12 said.

The letter addressed to the CDA environmental member acknowledged the CDA’s cooperation throughout the process of securing ownership of the Monal and La Montana restaurants.

Nature conservation agency takes over two restaurants with plan to restore habitat

An IWMB official said that after completion of the demolition work, the IWMB will fully implement the Supreme Court orders issued on August 21, paying special attention to restoring the affected areas to their original condition.

He said that before the construction of the grand restaurants on the ridge on Pir Sohawa Road in the heart of Margalla Hills National Park, the lofty hilltop with its magnificent view of the city was freely visited by the public and that the same viewpoint would be restored after the demolition of the said structures.

The official said that the IWMB has already notified an 11-member committee comprising the climate ministry, IWMB, district administration, capital police, CDA officials as well as other experts. The official said that the traffic congestion on Pir Sohawa Road has reduced after the closure of the two said restaurants.

According to sources, the owners of the two restaurants had no choice but to vacate the said buildings as their petitions for review were also rejected by the Supreme Court.

However, they hope that the CDA – which built Monal and subsequently leased it for 15 years – will file a petition in SC seeking review of the August 21 orders.

According to sources, the CDA has not yet taken a decision on the review petition, but even if it decides to move the Supreme Court, it will wait for the “opportune moment”.

Monal was founded by the CDA and leased the premises for 15 years in 2006. The lease was due to expire in 2021, but just a few years before the lease expired, Monal’s management informed the CDA that the city authority did not own the property, but that the land belonged to the army.

Monal had started making partial payments to both organisations. However, the army’s Remount, Veterinary and Farms Directorate’s suit was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court, which opposed commercial activities in the national park.

On August 21 this year, the Supreme Court ordered the closure of these restaurants. In its detailed order, the high court directed the IWMB to take possession of the Monal, La Montana and Gloria Jeans restaurants and mandated the CDA and the police to assist the Wildlife Board in doing so.

Last week, the court also dismissed the review petitions. In a scathing opinion, the court had described the status of Luqman Ali Afzal, owner of the Monal Group of Companies, as no better than that of an encroacher who had no right to operate in the protected area.

La Montana and Gloria Jeans also completely disregarded the provisions of the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation and Management) Ordinance of 1979, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said in a 13-page order.

Headed by CJP Isa, a three-judge bench, also comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Naeem Akhtar Afghan, dismissed a batch of review petitions filed by Monal Group of Companies, Capital View Point Restaurant (La Montana), Sunshine Heights (Pvt) Ltd and retired Brigadier General Falak Naz Bangash of the Ministry of Defence.

Published in Dawn, 17 September 2024