LAHORE: Adding insult to injury, the metro train officials on Tuesday red-marked the inner verandah of the historical GPO Building on The Mall and some of its other portions, sending a wave of serious concern among the postal authorities.

The metro train officials had earlier red-marked 750ft space of the colonial building’s sidewalk on the Nabha Road side apparently to acquire it for the project.

The marking had been made to devour GPO’s 19ft land across the length of the road, leaving just 6ft to be used as its sidewalk.

Officials said when they were contacting their higher authorities in Islamabad and preparing for a representation to the Punjab government to make it realise the historical importance of the building, more staff of the metro train project appeared on Tuesday and red-marked the verandah of the main building on the Nabha Road side, a mosque and a portion of GPO’s adjacent Postal Life Insurance building.

There had been no official intimation of the intended acquisition of the GPO’s premises. But the metro train staff said the red marking was an indication of the inclusion of the property into the project. “We will resist it,” said an official.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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