United front: Alliance against Orange Line train intact, says Rasheed

LAHORE:

There are no differences among the parties to an opposition alliance in the province. All four parties are united in their opposition to the Orange Line Metro Train project, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly said on Tuesday.

He was speaking to the media at a protest camp at Chauburji Chowk.

Earlier, Rasheed and some other leaders of the opposition alliance had to leave a demonstration at Jain Mandir following an argument with the Pakistan Peoples Party Lahore chapter workers. The demonstration had been organised by the Lahore PPP. The opposition alliance leaders had visited the demonstration as part of their day-long drive to visit various points along the route of the metro train.

The alliance against the provincial government had been formed last Monday during a meeting between Rasheed and leaders of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q).

Besides Chauburji Chowk, a camp was set up at Parachute Colony. The alliance leaders visited construction sites at Thokar Niaz Beg, Scheme Mor, Yateem Khana Chowk, Jain Mandir, Kapurthala House, Shalimar Gardens and near Grand Trunk Road.

Addressing the media at Chauburji Chowk, Rasheed dismissed reservations over the viability of the alliance in view of the Jain Mandir incident. “Mian Manzoor Wattoo and Samina Ghurki have called me and apologised for the incident. They have reassured me of their support for the alliance,” he said. He was accompanied by JI Lahore amir Zikarullah Mujahid and PML-Q’s Vickas Hassan Mokal. No PPP leader was present on the occasion. Provincial Assembly Member Sardar Shahabud Din later joined the alliance leaders and visited some areas along the Orange Line route with them.

Rasheed said the scuffle had started by a few ‘emotionally charged’ PPP workers. He said there could be differences within the PPP ranks over the idea of an opposition alliance. However, the party is still a part of the alliance, he said. Rasheed said the PPP leaders who spoke to him had assured him that they would hold an inquiry into the incident.

“No opposition party wants to politicise this issue,” he said.  The protest was meant to wake up the government to the plight of the people and to express solidarity with families affected by the construction activity, he said.

Rasheed said the alliance’s demands included use of tunnel boring technology in construction of the track and payment of compensation to displaced families at market rate plus a 25 per cent premium. Reservations over the diversion of funds allocated for other public welfare projects should also be addressed, he said.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, PPP Lahore president Samina Ghurki said the PPP was still a part of the opposition alliance. Referring to the Jain Mandir incident, she said it was an unfortunate occurrence and had been started by some emotionally-charged worker. She confirmed that the PPP would participate in the February 2 demonstration planned by the joint opposition.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st,  2016.