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The Federal Constitutional Court has set aside the Supreme Court’s decision ordering the demolition of Monal Restaurant, marking a significant development in the case concerning the restaurant located in the Margalla Hills.

The court ruled that the issue of land ownership will be decided by the relevant trial court.

Accepting the appeals filed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation, the Federal Constitutional Court observed that the land ownership dispute is still pending before a civil court. It held that the matter should therefore be decided by the trial court, which must do so without being influenced by the observations made in the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment.

The court also directed the trial courts to dispose of the pending cases at the earliest, while administrative matters should be left to the relevant regulatory authorities.

During the hearing, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi remarked that several important legal issues had not been considered in the previous judgment. He observed that courts decide cases according to the law rather than emotions, and that judicial decisions should not include irrelevant observations. He further remarked that the earlier judgment contained several observations that were not part of the judicial proceedings.

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It is pertinent to note that on June 11, 2024, a Supreme Court bench headed by then Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa had declared commercial activities in Margalla Hills National Park illegal and ordered the demolition of Monal Restaurant. The restaurant was subsequently demolished in compliance with the court’s order.

Following the Federal Constitutional Court’s latest ruling, the case has taken a new legal direction.

Sessions court in Lahore has extended the interim bail of PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar and his wife, Samira, in a case involving allegations of harassing actress Momina Iqbal and issuing death threats.

Additional Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui heard the interim bail petition. During the hearing, the petitioners argued that the NCCIA had registered the case contrary to the facts and requested the court to grant interim bail.

The investigating officer informed the court that Samira Chadhar has joined the investigation and that the inquiry is still underway. The officer said that the mobile phone containing the SIM allegedly used by the accused is required for forensic examination and requested additional time to complete the investigation.

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The court accepted the investigating officer’s request and extended the interim bail of Saqib Chadhar and his wife until July 28.

The court also directed the investigating authorities to submit a complete investigation report at the next hearing.

The NCCIA has registered the case on the complaint of actress Momina Iqbal.

A significant development has emerged in the case of the mysterious death of a 12-year-old domestic worker in Lahore’s Nasirabad area, with police rejecting allegations that the child was subjected to torture.

According to police, the preliminary examination suggests that the girl died due to food poisoning, adding that food particles were found in her throat.

Police further stated that no signs of physical torture were found on the child’s body. They said the exact cause of death will be determined after the forensic report is completed.

The girl’s family, however, has alleged that she was tortured and murdered by her employers.

The victim’s father, Javed, registered a police report against the employers. According to the complainant, his daughter, Kaneez Fatima, had been working at the residence of Sufi Ejaz for the past month. He said the employer’s daughter-in-law called him and asked him to come to Lahore from Faisalabad immediately.

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Javed said that when he arrived at the hospital with his brother and other family members, doctors informed them that the girl had been brought to the hospital dead.

Police have registered a case over the incident and arrested the suspect, Sufi Ejaz. The investigation is ongoing, while authorities say the forensic report will determine the exact cause of the child’s death.