Lahore: Members of different civil society organisations filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the Orange Line Metro Train project.
A news source stated that renowned architect and heritage conservationist Kamil Khan Mumtaz, human rights activist Ibn Abdur Rehman, and feminist Neelam Hussain filed the petition through Advocate Azhar Siddique.
According to the petitioners, the PKR 365 billion project has not been approved by the Punjab Assembly and the government is using funds that were supposed to be allocated to the education and health sectors. Moreover, the project will put 26 historical sites and protected monuments such as Shalamar Gardens, General Post Office, Supreme Court (Lahore registry), LHC and Chauburji in danger of being damaged.
Petitioners requested the court to suspend all processes related to the project, including land acquisition, demolition of buildings and utilisation of resources, until a final decision is reached.
Reportedly, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has also opposed the project because it poses a serious threat to the environment.
