A heartbreaking video is circulating on social media showing employees of Monal Restaurant in Islamabad weeping outside the restaurant after receiving termination letters from the owner.
The iconic Monal Restaurant has announced its permanent closure next month following a ruling by the country’s top court, which mandated the removal of all restaurants within Margalla National Park, including Monal Restaurant and La-Montana, to protect the park’s biodiversity.
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Reports indicate that 700 employees of Monal are facing an uncertain future after receiving job termination notices from owner Luqman Ali Afzal. The announcement has left many families distressed.
In a heartfelt farewell notice to his employees, Afzal confirmed the restaurant’s closure as directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The letter, which has gone viral on social media, expresses his deep sadness about informing his employees that Monal Restaurant will cease operations on September 11, 2024, due to the court’s ruling.
“It is not easy for me to say goodbye to you after an 18-year association; it feels like a father parting from his children,” he wrote.
In the Urdu letter, Afzal acknowledged the difficulties of unemployment and the associated challenges but stated there was no alternative following the court’s decision. “I wish I could provide jobs for everyone overnight, but given the current financial crisis, it is not possible for the group to reassign you to other projects. Please accept this as a decision made by divine will and begin searching for alternative employment,” he wrote.
Earlier, the restaurant had announced via a social media post that it would shut down permanently on September 11, 2024, in accordance with the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s directive.
