LAHORE (Staff Report) – Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday ordered to stop Orange train constructions near 11 historical buildings and nullified all the NOCs issued for the commencement of this project.
The division bench, headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, announced its verdict on petitions against the Orange Line Metro Train project and upholding an earlier decision stopping construction within 200 feet.
The court had reserved judgment on July 13 after counsels for both sides had completed their arguments.
It is pertinent to mention here that there was program to demolish several buildings including the Supreme Court Lahore Registry, the General Post Office, the Aiwan-i-Auqaf, Saint Andrews Church and Mauj Dariya shrine.
Petitions were filed against it in LHC on December 14. A stay order was issued by the court on January 28 while the verdict was reserved on July 13.
Advocate Azhar Siddique, the counsel for the petitioners, had argued that several historic buildings would be affected by the metro train project.
He had also objected to the disproportionate allocation for the project in relation to the provincial budget.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has decided to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
The route of the line has puzzled many experts, however, who say far less damaging alternative routes were not considered, the United Nations said in January.
Construction began last year and has led to forced evictions and threatened protected sites and minority places of worship, the United Nations said.
Campaigners contend that the awarding of the project lacked transparency and was not done in consultation with residents. They have filed a second petition challenging the process.
