The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an order to de-seal Monal Restaurant in Islamabad on Tuesday.
A three-member highest court panel led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan overruled the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) January 11 judgement which had instructed the authorities responsible to close the well-known eatery.
After challenging the high court’s decision, Monal Group argued that a decision by the IHC to force the authorities to take over the restaurant’s possession and seal the premises violated the petitioner’s basic rights.
In yesterday’s session, the Apex Court inquired as to how a restaurant could be shut down without a formal order being issued in the matter.
The Wildlife and Management Board had sealed the restaurant without handing over a copy of the IHC judgement, as the Supreme Court pointed out in its ruling. It said that it was unaware of the legal consequences of the IHC ruling, but it did not elaborate more.
This order was suspended because the IHC had never issued a written order to seal the Monal Restaurant, and because it had not been signed by an IHC official.
IHC ordered to close Islamabad’s Monal Restaurant, which is located in Margalla Hills National Park and deemed the military’s unlawful occupancy of 8,000 acres of park territory on January 11th, by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). As per IHC, the property within the national park is state-owned, no commercial activity is permitted there.
