ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Expressing his annoyance over the state of affairs in the Country, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Friday grilled the Cabinet Secretary for actions in defiance of the Supreme Court’s Orders to remove Monal Restaurant from the Margalla Hills National Park and instructed to take the matter into the notice of the Prime Minister.
On June 11, 2024, the Supreme Court had ordered the relocation of restaurants out of the National Park Area within a period of three months – including the Monal Restaurant.
However earlier this month, the federal government transferred the administrative control of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) from the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment to the Ministry of Interior.
The development led to the filing of two petitions – including the one by the Chairperson IWMP Rina Saeed Khan – in the Supreme Court seeking Contempt Proceedings against the perceived violation of the Apex Court’s June 11 Order.
While hearing the aforementioned petitions on Friday, the CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa lamented that transferring the Wildlife Department to the Interior Ministry and the subsequent removal of Rina Saeed Khan as the Chairperson IWMP were made through a summary moved by the Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal who happens to be the brother of Luqman Ali Afzal, owner of the Monal Restaurant.
The Chief Justice remarked that the government’s actions appear to be an attempt to override the Court’s decision to protect national assets.
“The generals and bureaucrats have taken control of the Country’s system, and the Attorney General is unaware of the proceedings,” the CJP said as quoted by the Express Tribune.
The Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan assured the Supreme Court that the notification to transfer the Wildlife Board to the Interior Ministry would be halted and that the decision to remove the Rana Saeed Khan would be reversed.
The Court directed that the matter be brought to the prime minister’s notice and adjourned the Case until August 15, 2024.
