This is a Public Petition in Support of Supreme Court Judgment on Monal Restaurant Demolition & Restoration of Margalla Hills National Park

We, the citizens of Pakistan, demand full implementation of Supreme Court’s August 21, 2024 Judgment and submit this petition to all relevant decision makers:

1. Background  
On August 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a landmark judgment ordering the closure and demolition of Monal Restaurant, La Montana, and Gloria Jeans inside Margalla Hills National Park. The Court held that all commercial leases inside MHNP violate the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance, 1979.

2. Our Position  
We fully support this judgment and demand:

- A. Immediate implementation: Complete demolition of Monal, La Montana, and all other commercial structures as per the Court’s directions, with “minimal disturbance to wildlife and without damage to the trees of the national park.”

- B. Full restoration of the National Park: Demolished sites must be rehabilitated with native trees and vegetation to restore the park’s natural role as a catchment area and wildlife habitat.

- C. Zero-tolerance policy: Enforce a complete ban on any future commercial activity, restaurants, hotels, or housing schemes in MHNP’s core area. As the Court noted, “Nowhere in the world are commercial activities, like running restaurants, allowed inside the national park area.”

- D. Action on 113 other structures: The Court noted ∼113 similar illegal structures exist in Margalla Hills. A transparent survey must be conducted and legal action taken against all violations.

- E. Empower IWMB: Grant Islamabad Wildlife Management Board full administrative control of the park, free from political pressure, to enforce conservation laws.

3. Justification  
Margalla Hills is not just a picnic spot. It is Islamabad’s critical catchment area for rainfall, a natural air filter, and home to endangered wildlife. The Supreme Court correctly observed that commercial activities impose an “astronomical environmental cost” on the public and future generations. Deforestation, landslides, and displacement of wildlife must end now.

4. Our Demand  
We call upon the Government of Pakistan, CDA, and all relevant authorities to implement the Court’s order in letter and spirit, instead of weakening it through review petitions. The law must apply equally to all. No compromise on the integrity of the National Park is acceptable.