ISLAMABAD – The famous hilltop restaurant, Monal in Islamabad, is likely tosee a legal battle as Pakistan Army has claimed a right on 5,500 acres landon Margalla Hills.
The Monal is built on a portion of the land which was allotted to Army outof a total of 22,000 acres of Margalla Hill National Park, Member Planningof Capital Development Authority (CDA), Shahid Mahmood told the StandingCommittee on Climate Change earlier this week.
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#ISLAMABAD link: #Monallink Restaurant is built onmilitary land in the #MargallaHillslink that it now wantsback, Capital Development Authority (#CDAlink) Member Planning Dr ShahidMahmood told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday.[image: View image on Twitter]link146 link3:05 PM – Nov 14, 2019linkTwitter Ads info and privacy link
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The remaining 16,000 acres belong to CDA, the official further briefed thecommittee. He also said that the land has been now handed over to PakistanArmy.
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In response to a question regarding the illegal construction of therestaurant on protected land, Shahid Mehmood told that despite severalinquiries, the involved officers could not be determined. According to thedetails, CDA had leased out the land in 2006 for 15 years at Rs 3.12million yearly.
Committee Chairperson, Munaza Hassan directed the official to submit allthe details of the construction of a restaurant on protected land forwildlife and environment preservation.
Climate Change Joint Secretary, Suleman Warraich told the committee thatdue to the confusion between private and state-owned lands, the laws couldnot be implemented in letter and spirit.
The lessee of the Monal restaurant has often been found guilty of breachingdifferent laws of CDA from time to time including Monal’s expansion in 2013and renting out land to small vendors in the parking area.
