Court declares illegal Monal restaurant demolition order illegal

The Federal Constitutional Court has declared the order to demolish the Monal Restaurant null and void, accepting appeals filed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation.

The court also lifted the injunction related to the case and ruled that the question of ownership would be decided by the relevant trial courts independently, without being influenced by the constitutional court's observations.

It directed the trial courts to dispose of the pending cases expeditiously, while administrative matters relating to the property will be handled by the competent regulatory authorities.

During the hearing, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi said certain issues had not been considered in the earlier Supreme Court ruling and that observations were included in the judgment that were not part of the case record. He said the Constitutional Court would decide the matter strictly in accordance with the law and avoid making unnecessary observations.

The Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of the Monal Restaurant on August 21, 2024. The latest ruling effectively sets aside that order.