The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed authorities to immediately re-open the Monal restaurant that had been sealed on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in January this year.
While hearing a case regarding the closure of the restaurant, Justice Mazahir Naqvi suspended the unsigned orders issued by the high court to seal the popular eatery.
“What is this monarchy?” the judge asked. “How can the orders be implemented before the documents were even signed.”
During the last hearing, the restaurant’s counsel, Makhdoom Ali Khan, had said that the restaurant was shuttered before the court issued written directions. He said that the civil court battle between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Monal was still underway.
According to the lawyer, the high court rendered the judgment without recording evidence. “Monal was not even a party in the lawsuit,” he added.
IHC’s Orders
On 11 January, the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah ordered the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to seal the Monal Restaurant.
He ruled that commercial activities on the land of the Islamabad Hills National Park can’t be allowed at any cost.
“The land should, once again, be handed back to the park,” the court had said.
