Tazeen Akhtar
ISLAMABAD, (Parliament Times) : Supreme Court of Pakistan in a Real Landmark ruling has restored the only world known Land Mark of Islamabad , MONAL setting aside the verdict of Islamabad High Court sealing the ICON of Capital City few months ago after Rina S. Khan of Islamabad Wild Life Management Board left no stone unturned to lock down the only attraction of domestic and international tourists in the Margallas. Rina S. Khan had it done but today in S.C she was reprimanded by the court for adopting illegal steps to secure her goals.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had ordered authorities to seal Islamabad’s hilltop Monal Restaurant legal points remained unnoticed. 1- Monal was not served with prior notice 2- Monal lawyer was not handed over short, detailed and stamped decision of IHC. In S.C , the Chairperson IWMB even failed to present any order of IHC.
Three member bench,Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi ruled that Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) had sealed the restaurant without a certified order of IHC.
“IWMB was not a party in this matter. Why you showed so much efficiency. How you can seal the restaurant without detailed and stamped order of IHC,”? asked Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan to Rina Khan.
She replied that Gloria Jeans and Lamontana have been served notices.
Here the point of Monal’s lawyer was that ” Monal was closed without prior notice while other restaurants were served notices.”
The Chairperson’s body language and manners were speaking that she has never appeared before a court and she does not know how to behave while answering to justices.
How naive she was can be seen what she argued before the highest court. ” Islamabad High Court issued verbal orders to close Monal,”.
Justice Naqvi said “Verbal orders carry no authority,”.
Ms Rina continued interferring, on which Justice Naqvi scolded her ” You were told to sit down. You can not understand,”?
Rina Khan failed to satisfy the court. She took liberty to intervene in the remarks of the court on which she was removed from the roastrum.
Justice Ijaz remarked ” It seems that Monal was targeted. When all other restaurants were served notices, why the legal process was not adopted for Monal,’?
Monal’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan argued ” I was neither given the short order of IHC nor the detailed order while I twice filed intra court appeal but the case would be dismissed before the hearing,”.
CDA official also failed to convince the court. He said that the restaurant’s lease had expired six months back. Here it is worth mentioning that the lease still exists and it would be expired after 15 years.
Justice Ijaz did not took it long and said the relevant civil court would hear the CDA-Monal case.
