ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency to prepare assessment report pertaining to losses caused by illegal constructions and also instructed the district collector for early completion of demarcation of Margalla Hills National Park.
The bench also directed the Chief Commissioner ICT to seal the Monal Restaurant’s structure on the same day in national park as commercial activities couldn’t be continued there.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case, asked the secretary Ministry of Climate Change that whether the ministry’s responsibility was just to launch tree plantation campaigns. The ministry itself had admitted the encroachments by the private people in national park, he observed.
The court remarked that no commercial activities could be continued in the said land as it was owned by federal government. The bench asked that under what law 8,000 acres land was allotted.
Additional attorney general adopted the stance that the ownership of the said land would remain with the federal government.
The chief justice asked the secretary defence to conduct inquiry and fix responsible for illegal construction of naval golf club. The court also instructed to hand over the possession of golf club to CDA in same day.
Chairman CDA informed the court that his department had given notice to demolish the naval sailing club on directives of this bench. On the query of the bench, the chairman said that district collector was responsible to the demarcation of national park while survey of Pakistan and deputy commissioner offices would assist it.
The chairman CDA said that changes were being introduced in master plan of Islamabad after detailed deliberation.
The court remarked that no one would dare to encroach the government lands when the state institution would remove their possessions.
The court further asked how the Monal Restaurant was constructed, adding that Metropolitan Corporation should have not interfere in affairs of national park.
The chief justice directed the chief commissioner ICT to seal the Monal Restaurant in the same day.
The court remarked that after the 1960 Ordinance, 1400 square miles area belongs to CDA, adding that the court would interpret many things in its judgment.
The court directed for early completion of the demarcation of Margalla Hills national park.