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ISLAMABAD: Nearly 1,500 citizens have so far signed a petition to save the Margalla Hills National Park amid concerns that the court’s review of the restaurant demolition case in the protected area could pave the way for the revival of commercial activities.
The group, Friends of Margalla Hills National Park, warned that reopening such cases may weaken earlier rulings that clearly banned commercial use within the protected area. They said decisions by the Islamabad High Court in 2022 and the Supreme Court in 2024 had established an important legal principle that national parks were meant for conservation and biodiversity protection, not business activity.
Calling the rulings a milestone in Pakistan’s environmental legal history, the group had submitted a public petition urging authorities to fully implement the Supreme Court’s judgement of August 21, 2024.
In that verdict, the Supreme Court ordered the closure and demolition of several restaurants operating inside the park, including Monal, La Montana and Gloria Jeans. The court ruled that such commercial leases violated the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance of 1979.
