ISLAMABAD: La Montana restaurant is preparing to return to Islamabad’s Margalla Hills after the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) overturned a 2024 Supreme Court judgment that had ordered the demolition of restaurants operating inside the Margalla Hills National Park.
The ruling clears the way for the possible reconstruction of La Montana and other affected properties. However, the ownership disputes will still be decided separately by the relevant trial courts.
Court Separates Ownership From Earlier Verdict
The Supreme Court had ordered the closure of Monal and La Montana in August 2024, citing environmental concerns and the need to protect the national park’s biodiversity. Both restaurants stopped operations the following month, while authorities were directed to demolish the structures with minimal environmental impact.
However, the FCC accepted review petitions filed by the Capital Development Authority and the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad. The constitutional bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, ruled that trial courts must decide ownership matters independently without relying on observations made in the previous judgment.
Moreover, the court instructed trial courts to dispose of the pending cases as quickly as possible. Justice Rizvi also observed that the Supreme Court’s earlier decision had not fully addressed several important legal questions and stressed that courts must decide cases according to the law.
Restaurants Welcome the Decision
Following the verdict, La Montana announced on social media that it would soon reopen in the Margalla Hills. The restaurant described the ruling as a historic legal victory.
The decision also removes the demolition order affecting Monal, La Montana, and Gloria Jeans. Nevertheless, the final ownership of the properties will depend on future decisions by the trial courts.
The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the restaurants violated environmental laws and damaged the park’s ecosystem. However, those findings will no longer determine the ownership cases, which will now be heard afresh.
