Lahore (December 08, 2017): Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has welcomed the Supreme Court verdict in Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project case, setting aside the LHC verdict halting work on certain section of the project.
Reacting to the SC verdict in the case, the chief minister said that today people had won over the vested interests.
In a tweet Shahbaz Sharif said: “Alhumdulillah… Orange Line finally gets go-ahead by the Supreme Court… Today people won over the vested interests… All efforts & energies to be employed to complete this mega public welfare project as early as possible InshaAllah! Aap sab ko Mubarak –ss”.
Alhumdulillah… Orange Line finally gets go-ahead by the Supreme Court… Today people won over the vested interests… All efforts & energies to be employed to complete this mega public welfare project as early as possible InshaAllah! Aap sab ko Mubarak -ss
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 8, 2017
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It is to be mentioned here that on Friday Supreme Court conditionally allowed Punjab government to proceed with its multi-billion Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project by setting aside a verdict of Lahore High Court halting work on certain section of the OLMT project.
The court announced its verdict on identical petitions filed by the Punjab government, National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak), Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Lahore Development Authority and Civil Society Network against the Aug 19, 2016 Lahore High Court judgement suspending construction work on OLMT within 200 feet of 11 heritage sites. The order was issued on a petition filed civil society activist Kamil Khan Mumtaz.
The larger bench overturned the LHC verdict halting construction works at 11 sites with a majority judgment as a member of the bench Justice Maqbool Baqir wrote a dissenting note.
The verdict was read out by Justice Ejazul Ahsan. Justices Ejaz Afzal Khan headed the bench with Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Maqbool Baqar, Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel as its members.
The apex court ordered the Punjab government to continue the construction of the train and complete the project on its planned date.
The court also directed the provincial government to form two technical committees within 30 days to oversee the technical aspects of the project.
One committee will comprise a senior archaeology professor from the Punjab University and a senior judge nominated by the chief justice in order to determine if any of the heritage buildings have suffered any damage from the construction of the project. The committee will also be given Rs130 million in funds for repair and renovation of the sites.
The other committee will assess any losses suffered by the project due to halt in construction work due to the LHC decision.
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