The Federal Constitutional Court on Monday set aside the decision ordering the demolition of the iconic Monal Restaurant in Islamabad’s Margalla Hills National Park, allowing appeals filed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The bench also vacated the stay order and ruled that issues relating to the ownership of the disputed land would be decided by the trial courts on their merits, without being influenced by previous judicial observations.

It further directed the trial courts to dispose of the pending cases at the earliest, while holding that administrative matters concerning the restaurant would be decided by the relevant regulatory authorities.

During the hearing, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi observed that several important aspects had not been taken into account in the earlier Supreme Court ruling.

“We will not deliver an emotional judgment,” Justice Rizvi remarked, adding that the bench would decide the case strictly in accordance with the law and the record before it.

Counsel Ahsan Bhoon told the court that the bench had examined the case thoroughly.

Justice Rizvi discouraged excessive praise of the court during proceedings, saying the bench would issue a decision based solely on the evidence and arguments presented.

Justice Rizvi said that after reviewing the previous ruling, it appeared that several matters not forming part of the court proceedings had been included in the judgment.

The Monal Restaurant, one of Islamabad’s best-known dining destinations, has long been at the centre of a legal dispute involving the ownership and lease of the land, construction within Margalla Hills National Park, and alleged violations of environmental regulations.

The CDA and other government authorities have maintained that the restaurant was built and expanded in violation of environmental laws and lease conditions within the national park.

The Monal administration, however, asserted that it operates after fulfilling all legal requirements and that its rights should be protected.