Supreme Court on Friday formed a commission of two international technical heritage and environmental experts for examining the credibility of National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) report on Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) Project Lahore. Punjab Masstransit Authority, Lahore Development Authority, Punjab government and the NESPAK had challenged the Lahore High Court verdict which had granted a stay order against the OLMT project in response to identical petitions for heritage and environment protection of Lahore.
On Friday, in pursuance of the court's directives, appellants and respondents in the matter submitted a list of six independent entities before a 5-member larger bench led by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali. The counsel for the appellants Punjab Masstransit Authority and others submitted a list of three names: TYPSA - Asian Consulting Engineers (Pvt) Lit JV, EA Consulting (Pvt) Ltd, previously worked with Lahore Development Authority) and Osmani & Company (Pvt) Ltd which previously worked with Punjab Masstransit Authority.
The counsel for the respondents Kamil Khan Mumtaz and others also submitted a list of three experts - UNESCO Chair Program Durham University Professor Robin Coningham, Wardell Armstrong Archaeology (heritage consultancy and site, landscape and geophysical surveys) London and Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd Galway.
After opening a sealed envelope of all the names, the bench granted an hour to both the parties' lawyers to finalise two names from the list. Later, dictating its order, the bench said the proposed names of the technical experts have been provided from which a two-member commission of TYPSA- Asian Consulting Engineers (Pvt) Lit JV and UNESCO Chair Program, Durham University Professor Robin Coningham is being appointed to examine the credibility of the NESPAK's HIA reports of July 2015 and February 2016.
The court also said in its order that expenses of the Commission would be borne by the Punjab government whereas the Commission shall furnish its report in the matter before the Supreme Court in the next 30 days. The bench said the matter would be taken up after receiving the reports of the Commission.
Comments
Comments are closed.