Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Mass Transit Authority lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan on Tuesday concluded his arguments in the Orange Line Metro Train project.

A five-member larger bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan took up the identical petitions for hearing, filed by various department of the Punjab government in which the government had challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict restraining construction within 200 feet of heritage sites.

Makhdoom contended that vibration from train would not cause any damage to the infrastructure in general and heritage sites in particular.

He said that the LHC had discarded the report of seven experts and none of the respondent had objected the reports at that time, adding that the LHC discarded the reports of Dr Uppal and Pamela Roger, the experts, on the grounds that both had been associated with the government in the past.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that apparently the reasons recorded in the LHC verdict were unacceptable because of the contradictions.He, however, emphasised that the structure of sites had to be assured.

Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan asked whether assessment of vibration, caused by the train, was made on the scientific grounds or they were mere assumptions.

To this the lawyer informed the court that geophysical test of 27.1 km, the track distance of train, was obtained. He said vibration caused by a truck was more than the metro train whose vibration would be mitigated to minimum 3 millimeter per second velocity which was equal to zero level.

Initially around 250,000 passengers would travel by the metro train, he added.

He also said that India had used German technology to mitigate vibrations, adding that metro trains in Delhi passing by heritage sites did not cause any damage so the same methodology was being applied in the project.
Justice Maqbool Baqir observed that nothing could be said conclusively because of lack of relevant data.

On the report of Professor Cunningham, member of commission formed under the court’s orders, Justice Ejaz Afzal asked that where he gave opinion regarding potential empirical vibration.
Makhdoom said that Professor Cunningham’s name was proposed by the respondents despite the fact that he was professor in archaeology having no experience on technical side.

Khawaja Haris, representing Lahore Development Authority (LDA), commenced his arguments and informed the bench that the LDA was executing the project, adding that NESPAK prepared the feasibility report after examining every aspect of the project.

Justice Ejaz said that the court’s concern was whether the provisions of laws were covered in the project or not.

Respondents lawyer Azhar Siddique told the court that UNESCO’s reactive monitoring team wanted to visit Pakistan for inspecting the would-be damage to heritage sites due to the project but the government was not granting visas.

Justice Ejaz said the court could not wait for a foreign team. “But we want to safeguard the sites,” argued Azhar. Justice Ejaz said the court also wanted to save the same. The bench adjourned the hearing for Wednesday (today).