Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Lahore Metro Orange Line Train Project but blamed Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf for 22-month delay in construction of this project of public importance.
Felicitating the Pakistanis, especially the people of Lahore, Shehbaz said the more we thank Almighty Allah the less it would be. He vowed to complete the project by working day and night on it so that the backlog could be covered. He added that the project is a milestone initiative for the country as it is a mega project of public interest which will provide international quality transport facilities to the people after its completion.
Speaking to media in Lahore on Friday, Shehbaz said, "The PTI had submitted an application to the Supreme Court. Then like hidden enemies, they did the same in the Lahore High Court. The revenge they have taken is not from me. It is revenge from the poor people of the city." The Supreme Court's orders have paved the way for completion of Orange Line Metro without any delay. The Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed the decision of the Lahore High Court (LHC) halting work on selected sites of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project.
Shehbaz maintained that the project was to be inaugurated on December 25 according to the original plan but was delayed due to negative politics by the PTI. When asked about the completion of project, Shehbaz said he would inform about the date some other day. Shehbaz elaborated that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had stayed the project for 14 months and the apex court announced its verdict eight months later.
He further said that the PTI did not want the people to benefit from an efficient and cheap mass transit system. "The project was to run from December 25 but due to the delay, we are absolutely out of line. If the project had been built on time, it would have lessened thousands of cars on roads and could have led to less severe smog in the provincial capital," he said.
To a query, he said, "The tickets for the metro project would be reasonable and the price would be set keeping the common man in mind." To another query, he said the directions issued by the apex court would be implemented in letter and spirit. He further said that dirty politics have caused harm to the people and this approach needs to be curbed and things must be moved in right direction in the public interest.
Launched in May 2014, the project is set to be the country's first metro line, but it got embroiled in a legal battle in LHC which ordered a stay on several sites as the development was trampling over heritage sites in Lahore. A single train within the 27-kilometre rail line has the capacity to carry 1,000 people, out of which 200 can be seated while 800 can commute while standing. The project, which was included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, is expected to run on electricity and transport up to 250,000 passengers a day. The capacity is set to be increased to 500,000 passengers by 2025.