The iconic eatery Monal restaurant was sealed off by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Islamabad and Chief Commissioner Office Islamabad due to illegal tree cutting for its expansive construction activities.
Muhammad Saleem, the Climate Change Ministry’s media focal person stated to media that it was brought to the notice of Prime Minister’s Advisor, Malik Amin Aslam that illegal construction activities for expansion of the Monal restaurant were being done for quite a few days; the construction was started by restaurant’s management which resulted in a great loss of tree cover and land degradation in its surrounding areas.
It should be remembered that the Margalla Hills area is included in the National Park where cutting down trees without permission is prohibited.
A five-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also ordered the Islamabad administration to replant trees that were felled during the attempted expansion.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed told the court that the administration had already sealed the Monal and proceeded against the restaurant by initiating action against them.
The directions came when Justice Ahmed said it had come to his notice that 500 to 1,000 trees had been felled for the expansion of the restaurant.
