Hearing the case related to delay in completion of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project, Supreme Court (SC) Justice Azmat Saeed on Tuesday remarked that work on the project should not be stopped because of funds.
A three-member SC bench was hearing the case.
Observing the delay in the completion work, Justice Azmat Saeed warned that the matter could be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as the company failed to fulfill its deadline. “The company assured the completion of the project by April 15,” he said.
Later the court, after summoning secretary transport and finance, adjourned the hearing till Friday.
The OLMT will span 27.1 km (16.8 mi) with 25.4 km (15.8 mi) elevated and 1.72 km (1.1 mi) underground.
The line will be served by 26 stations and is expected to handle 250,000 passengers daily. As a part of the wider China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Orange line is being financed by the Government of Punjab. The 27-kilometer metro train is expected to cost $1.6 billion, out of which $300 million would come from the Federal Government of Pakistan, the rest is financed through soft loans by the Government of China.