Chief Justice Questions Bureaucratic Overreach in Margalla National Park Case

Islamabad:In a recent hearing regarding Margalla National Park, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, challenged the actions of senior officials and questioned whether generals and bureaucrats had taken over the country’s administration. He emphasized that the country was meant for its people, not for the privileged few.

Justice Isa, heading a three-member bench, expressed frustration over the government’s handling of the park. He noted that the Supreme Court had issued orders to protect the national asset, but these were disregarded when the Wildlife Board was placed under the Ministry of Interior’s control and its chairperson was removed from office.

“The Ministry of Interior’s role is to manage law and order. The government’s actions appear to undermine court decisions,” Justice Isa remarked. He stressed that the court would ensure the implementation of its decision to remove restaurants from the park.

The Secretary of the Cabinet informed the court that the decision to transfer the park’s management to the Ministry of Interior was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally, and not through a summary from the Cabinet. Chief Justice Isa questioned why the Secretary had not informed the Prime Minister that such a move was a violation of regulations.

Justice Isa expressed strong disapproval of the federal government’s actions and questioned the appropriateness of transferring park management to a ministry responsible for security rather than environmental issues. He also criticized the judiciary’s lack of transparency and the apparent overreach of military and bureaucratic figures.

The Supreme Court has issued a stay order on the notification transferring the Wildlife Board to the Ministry of Interior and halted the removal of the Board’s chairperson, Rana Saeed. The court has directed the Attorney General to bring all relevant matters to the Prime Minister’s attention and has requested detailed information regarding the construction of housing societies in Margalla National Park. The hearing has been adjourned until August 15.