Monal and Other Restaurants
The Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed review petitions filed against the order to shut down restaurants like Monal, La Montana, and Gloria Jean’s operating inside the protected area of Margalla Hills National Park. The apex court ordered again for the compliance of its previous order and pointed out that the owners of those restaurants themselves had agreed before this court to close their industries within three months. “It’s very disrespectful on the part of the review petitions,” said the court while emphasizing compliance with the court’s order.
While ordering the demolition of these food outlets in the previous judgment, the court had recommended that these restaurants should be given priority for leases at other places by the CDA; this recommendation has been withdrawn in this new verdict, thus giving no concession to these food outlets about their new lease.
Explaining the quintessence of environmental conservation to life and dignity, enshrined as fundamental rights under Articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in a 25-page judgment said:
It ranges from the right to life and life with dignity, which would include the right to exist in a world where all species, rivers, air, and soil are healthy. Science has shown that human survival is itself being threatened by the degradation of natural ecosystems.
The sites would be taken over by the Wildlife Board on September 11, with the assistance of CDA and ICT Police in a manner that caused the least disturbance to the environment. The entrances to the restaurants would be sealed off and the structures demolished in such a way as not to harm the wildlife of the park and the trees. After demolition, the debris would be cleared and disposed of outside the boundaries of the park.
It has also asked the Wildlife Board to decide upon the best use of the area, thus considering even the conversion of the land for environmental use, like an artificial lake for collection of rainwater.
The Supreme Court has also directed an environmental damage assessment survey, to be conducted through the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency for a park restoration as part of Islamabad’s natural heritage and as a preventive measure against further degradation.
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