Monal verdict

With the order of the sealing of Islamabad’s Monal Restaurant, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has put paid to the issue of the Margalla Greens Golf Club too. In compliance with the court order, capital authorities have sealed off the restaurant and the CDA will take control of the golf club built on encroached land; the court has declared illegal the military’s claim to over 8000 acres of the Margalla Hills National Park. This is a second consecutive landmark verdict that the IHC has delivered this month. The first pertained to the illegal construction of the Navy Sailing Club on the banks of Rawal Lake. Both decisions are likely to have a wider impact on society as they are meant to protect wider public interest. There is now a need to make Islamabad’s masterplan public so that the residents of the capital get to know how much land is under illegal use – and by whom.

The court has rightly pointed out that the law – all laws – applies to all, individual or institution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now going to submit a report on the damage that illegal construction has caused to the national park. Last year in November, the IHC had pointed to several authorities being complacent about the destruction of the national park in the Margalla Hills. The past couple of decades, the capital has seen increasing encroachments by entities and individuals belonging to both private and state institutions and sectors.

All over the world, national parks are always protected areas and one is allowed to carry out any activity there, apart from those related to environmental protection and public service. Greenery is already depleting in the country and the areas around Islamabad also have witnessed rapid deforestation in the name of development. National parks are for the public and the felling of trees and cutting of green space results in an inhospitable climate for the flora and fauna in the region. It has become obvious from various cases over the past few years that a land-oriented mentality has deep roots in the country. In all such matters, rule of law should reign supreme and no authority should have powers to grab or grant land at its will. All ministries need to make sure that its constituent departments remain within their domain of activities and do not trespass on areas that do not come under the purview of their primary activities. The wheel of accountability must start its course of action to prevent such lawlessness in future. One hopes that the measures ordered by the Islamabad High Court are followed through, and end up ensuring that no one is allowed to violate the sanctity of our national parks. At a time when we need to ward off climate change and global warming by protecting trees and controlling construction, such verdicts are extremely important.