Hearing on intra-court appeal of Monal Restaurant put off

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on an intra-court appeal of Monal Restaurant till March 15.

IHC judges Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the intra-court appeal against the single bench order of sealing Monal Restaurant.

Justice Amir Farooq while expressing his annoyance at the lawyer of Monal Group asked whether he had taken a stand in the Supreme Court that the high court verdict had not been signed. “We will take action against your client for placing/presenting an interim order in the apex court. You wrongly attributed to the high court that the decision was not signed,” the judge observed.

Monal's lawyer said that “we have not taken such a stand in the Supreme Court”. To this, the judge remarked that “this is what was reported in the media”.

Monal's lawyer said that the media has misreported it and they did not say so in the apex court.

To this, the judge smiled and asked the council to turn his back and say that out loud in the microphone — while alluding to court reporters.

The court further remarked that the short order was passed on January 11, 2022, in the open court asking the counsel if he applied for the certified copy of the order.

The lawyer said there was no certified copy of the verdict when Monal Restaurant was sealed.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2022.