The construction of Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project is likely to be delayed by eight months, even if a favourable verdict is rendered by the Supreme Court on the government’s appeal against a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench order barring construction within 200 feet of heritage sites until after a fresh heritage impact assessment, preferably in consultation with UNESCO.
The LHC last week ordered the suspension of construction work on the Orange Line Metro Train project within 200 feet of 11 heritage sites in the provincial metropolis and directed to form a review committee to assess the effects of the construction on historical buildings.
The two-member bench of LHC comprising Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and Justice Shahid Karim issued a long verdict of 83 pages on a petition regarding the impacts of construction on historical buildings and the environment.
Since the OLMT project’s execution in September 2015, at least 14 different petitions were filed by the civil society on various grounds, including the acquisition of lands, transparency in the project and tendering the process.
The verdict issued by the court was on the petition challenging the construction work near 11 historical buildings and its impact on the environment.
The court annulled all the no-objection certificates (NOC) and the revised NOCs which were obtained for the construction of OLMT.
The court had stopped the government from construction work near eleven historical buildings on January 28 this year while issuing a short order in this regard after holding the proceedings on the petitions. These buildings include Chauburji, Saint Andrews Church, GPO building, the tomb of Zeb-un-Nisa, Supreme Court Registry Branch, Aiwan-e-Auqaf, Shalimar Gardens, Budhu ka Awa, the tomb of Baba Mauj Daria, Lakshmi building , and Shah Chiragh Building.
The 27-kilometre Orange Line Metro Train project is estimated to cost $1.65 billion and is being funded through a Chinese soft loan.
The project is part of the metro network in the city. It will connect Raiwind Road, Multan Road, McLeod Road, the City railway station and the Grand Trunk Road.
