City Reporter
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday turned down Monal Restaurant’s request to withdraw its case and remarked that prima facie allocating eight thousands kanals of land of Margala Hills National Park to military directorate was illegal.
The court instructed the federal government to review its notification of 2016 regarding the Margala hill national park land.
The court said, the federal government was taking concrete measures to deal with climate change but the Margala Hills National Park was being ignored adding there is no rule of law in the Capital.
It was the duty of Islamabad Wildlife Mangement Board (IWMB) to highlight the violations in Margala hills but it had confined itself to trail 4, 5 and 6, the court observed.
Why and how the land was given to military directorate, he court asked the attorney general who submitted that this was a very important issue and he would give his advise to the federal government in this regard.
The court instructed the federal government to conduct a survey in Margala hills national park and stop illegal constructions there.
“Why not the court should pass an order to public the names who illegally occupied the land at margala hills” chief justice asked.
Chief Justice observed that environmental agency and wildlife management board was not doing its job. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had done nothing except allotting plots to the people, he added.
How the Monal restaurant was constructed there it was also a history, the court remarked. The court sent the matter to federal government to review its decision and adjourned the case till December 8.
