Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, member of larger bench hearing Orange Line Metro Train case, on Monday said that the court would not let anyone destroy heritage sites in Lahore.

The five-member larger bench also decided to hear the matter daily.

The larger bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, took up identical petitions for hearing, filed by the Punjab government’s various departments in which the provincial government had challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict.

A divisional bench of LHC after hearing 10 petitions against the project had restrained the Punjab government from pursuing the construction of any structure within a distance of 200 foot from 11 heritage sites.

During the hearing, Shahid Hamid representing the consultant company NESPAK contended before the bench that the project comprising of 27km with 1.5km underground was planned in 2007.

He said that the estimated cost in 2007 was Rs 2 billion, excluding land cost, adding that the cost for underground construction and bypasses were 3 percent higher. He appraised the bench that collective cost was Rs 165 billion wherein Rs 64 billion would be disbursed on civil works.

On court’s query, he responded that at initial stage an open hearing was conducted in Alhamra Hall for suggestions and grievances of people but the petitioners in LHC had not raised any objections at that point.

Justice Saeed observed that the instant matter not pertained to the lack of mass transit transport in the city but the matter was that of the heritage sites.

Hamid contended that the track for train would be constructed at the distance of 200 foot from five heritage sites.

Justice Maqbool Baqir observed that some heritage sites were partially damaged in shape of gaps, however, it was not ascertained when and how these sites received cracks.

The larger bench also watched the footage of construction, made by a drone camera. On the conclusion of Hamid’s arguments, counsel for respondent Azhar Siddique appeared before the bench and informed the court that UNESCO’s Reactive Monitoring team wanted to visit Pakistan to assess the likely damages to heritage sites due to the project, but authorities were not issuing visas.