Historic sites ‘just as important as mass transit’

Special Committee Chairman says apex court orders must be followed

LAHORE: Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Special Committee Chairman Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain, also a former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, has said the preservation of historical sites and the provision of a mass transit system were equally important.

Speaking at a meeting of the Special Committee, he advised technical experts from different committees to maintain close coordination with executors and consultants of the project. He believed this would ensure the smooth completion of development work.

He underscored that all efforts should be made to strictly follow the order of the apex court for the safe and timely completion of the mass transit initiative. The former judge continued that this would avoid unnecessary complications and minimise public inconvenience.



He asked the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General to make arrangements for a visit of experts to metro train sites before the next meeting of the committee. He emphasised that preservation of historical sites should be implemented according to guidelines and conditions laid down by the apex Court.

The LDA DG and chief engineer briefed committee members about construction works being carried out on different sites. They highlighted that development works have been resumed in the vicinity of 11 historical monuments after taking all precautionary measures defined the Supreme Court.

The DG also gave a detailed presentation about the project for its various packages and the layout of the 27-kilometre-long metro train Project from Dera Gujran to Ali Town. They also told the committee that about 75% to 80% work had been completed, except for the area which falls near special premises or antiquities and cut and cover portion from Jain Mandar to Lakshmi Chowk.

The Punjab Archaeology Department director general briefed committee members through about the historic background and present condition of 11 monuments, which fell on the route of the metro train, and were protected by the Antiquities Act 1975 and Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance 1985.

The apex court had allowed the Punjab government to go ahead with the construction of the metro train project on 31 various conditions. The Supreme Court ordered the formation of a broad-based special committee of experts, headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, to oversee the implementation of the judgment of the court. The CJ nominated Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain as chairman of the committee and a notification was issued accordingly.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan may have given a green signal to the Punjab government for completion of the Lahore Orange Line Metro (OLMT) project, but development works near heritage sites had not started even days after the decision.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, an executive of a local contracting company said the government and city developers were rather concerned about the safety of heritage sites as the apex court had imposed 31 conditions in its decision. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) had government directed civil contractors to take maximum precautions to avoid any damage to heritage sites by construction works, he said.

OLMT Package-1 contractor Shahid Saleem, said, “Though temporary scaffolding has been erected to safeguard the structure of Lakshmi Mansion and tarpaulin have been installed to cover the exterior of Shalimar Gardens and other heritage sites, the LDA has not allowed contractors to initiate construction near them.”

Responding to a question, he said the company has already completed most civil works on Grand Trunk Road and only 85 piles needed to be erected for the construction of the elevated metro train track near Shalimar Garden.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2017.