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ISLAMABAD: Despite Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) directive, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has so far failed to demarcate boundaries of the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).
The IHC on Jan 11, 2022, had issued the directive for demarcation of the boundaries of MHNP within 60 days. On March 1, CDA Member Planning Naveed Illahi notified a five-member committee for carrying out the demarcation, however, sources said, so far no proper demarcation had been carried out in order to submit a report to the high court.
According to the notification dated March 1, the director environment (regional) of the CDA was made the focal person/convener of the committee with the additional deputy commissioner revenue ICT, the deputy commissioner CDA, representatives of the defence ministry and the Survey of Pakistan as its members.
According to a copy of the IHC judgement: “The respective secretaries of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior and Chairman CDA shall jointly conduct a survey and demarcate the unharmed area of the notified National Park.
“The survey and demarcation shall be completed within 60 days from the date of this order. They will ensure that no activity or construction is allowed within the notified National Park as mandated under MLR-82, the CDA Ordinance 1960 and regulations made thereunder, the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Ordinance 1979, and the Islamabad Preservation of Landscape Ordinance 1966,” the judgement said.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Jan 11 had also directed the civic agency to seal the sprawling naval golf course located in the Margalla Hills National Park area, and unless an environmentally-friendly use can be found for it, ordered its demolition within four weeks.
The court also rejected the military’s claim on over 8,000 acres of the national park and ordered the CDA to seal Monal Restaurant set up in the national park area.
It also asked the defence ministry to ensure that the amount received as rent was deposited in the exchequer.
The court directed the defence secretary to ascertain which officials were responsible for the construction of the golf course while the CDA chairman was ordered to probe the construction of Monal and other restaurants on national park land.
After building Monal Restaurant, the CDA had leased it out for 15 years which expired last year. However, a few years before the expiry of the lease, the lessee started paying the rent to the military, which stated that the land where Monal was constructed belonged to them on the basis of a notification from year 1912.
Following the IHC order, CDA and the ICT administration had sealed Monal, which was, however, de-sealed later on the directives of the Supreme Court.
When contacted, a committee member tasked with the demarcation on Monday confirmed to Dawn that the process was yet to be carried out.
He, however, said the committee had held a meeting and would meet again next week.
“Soon we will start a proper demarcation of MHNP,” he said, adding that focal persons from all relevant departments had been nominated, therefore, there would be no further delay in completion of the demarcation, he added.