The Supreme Court (SC) suspended on Tuesday the Islamabad High Court's order of sealing the popular Monal Restaurant, Aaj News reported, in a case related to the encroachment of the Margalla Hills National Park.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the Monal Group of Companies' plea, which asked for the IHC's orders to be revoked.

Last year, the IHC observed that the federal government, the CDA and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board appear to have been complacent in the destruction of the notified areas of the "National Park" and the "Wildlife Sanctuary".

On January 8, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard a case related to encroachments in Margalla Hills National Park and was informed that Monal Restaurant had been sealed twice in the past, but reopened.

Seal off Monal Restaurant today, rules IHC

Back then, the court had ordered Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed to seal off the restaurant after which officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) went to seal it.

The IHC has also sought a report from the Environment Protection Agency on damages caused by construction on the national park.