The Rupees 162 billion Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project is becoming more controversial with every passing day. Punjab Assembly saw fiery debate on the project on Friday with Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed condemning the government for not consulting the House before starting work on the construction of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project. The Pakistan Terheek-Insaf leader said that work is causing damage to several heritage sites and resulting in displacement of scores of households and that the government seems least bothered about the plight of the people. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah vehemently responded to the allegation by Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed and claimed that no rules had been broken and that it was impossible for the opposition to prove their case constitutionally.
Previously there was controversy regarding the funding of the project with some political parties claiming that the project is actually party of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an impression which was rejected by the Punjab government. The project has also received criticism that several people have already lost their lives during the early construction of the project, among them were not only laborers working on the project but also common citizens. There have been serious concerns regarding the safety procedures in place to avoid such incidents as the projects construction work gathers pace. Protests have also erupted in Lahore during the previous few days against the construction of the project. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday also stopped the Punjab government from continuing with construction of the project within a radius of 200 feet of any historical site. The Punjab government should develop consensus on the project instead of rejecting concerns.
The Punjab government must address the concerns regarding the project.