One of Islamabad’s most popular restaurants, La Montana, is set to return to the Margalla Hills after the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) overturned a 2024 Supreme Court judgment that had ordered the demolition of restaurants operating inside the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). The ruling has reopened the possibility of rebuilding several affected properties.
The Supreme Court had ordered the closure of Monal and the adjacent La Montana restaurant in August 2024, citing environmental concerns and the need to protect the biodiversity of the Margalla Hills National Park. Both restaurants ceased operations the following month, and the court directed that their structures be demolished with minimal impact on wildlife.
However, the Federal Constitutional Court has now set aside that decision after hearing review petitions filed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI). The latest ruling removes the demolition order but leaves ownership issues to be decided separately by the relevant trial courts.
The constitutional bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, ruled that ownership disputes should be resolved independently without being influenced by observations made in previous judgments. The court also clarified that administrative matters related to the properties would be handled by the relevant regulatory authorities.
The FCC directed the trial courts to decide all pending ownership cases as early as possible. During the hearing, Justice Rizvi observed that several important legal issues had not been fully examined in the Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment and stressed that courts must decide cases strictly according to the law.
Following the verdict, La Montana announced its return through a social media post, saying it would soon reopen in the Margalla Hills after what it described as a historic legal victory. The announcement was welcomed by many customers who had visited the restaurant before its closure.
The court’s decision also removes the demolition order affecting Monal, La Montana and Gloria Jeans. However, the final ownership of the properties will depend on the outcome of cases currently pending before the trial courts. The original Supreme Court ruling had held that the restaurants violated environmental laws and negatively affected the national park’s ecosystem, wildlife, trees and natural water recharge system.
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