LAHORE: The counsel for the civil society in the Orange Line Metro Train case told the Lahore High Court on Tuesday that the federal government misled court about delay in securing foreign loan due to stay issued against construction of the project near heritage sites.

Representing the civil society before a full bench seized with the case, Advocate Azhar Siddique said the government had already started the project before signing loan agreement with a Chinese bank.

Countering the arguments of the government, the petitioner’s counsel said no tendering process took place and contract had been awarded to CR-NORINCO, a Chinese company, in violation of merit and level playing-field.

He said the PC-I of the project was approved without including acquisition cost and displacement cost in April 2015 at $1.626 billion and the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved it on May 8, 2015. But intentionally for contract purposes on April 20, 2015 at $1.457 billion was mentioned and in mala fide on Aug 25 it was revised to $1.626 billion.

The counsel argued that about Rs50 billion of acquisition cost and displacement cost of about Rs20 billion was not included in the project cost.

He said the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) decision from the Environment Protection Agency of July 8, 2015 was defective.

Advocate Siddique argued that no information and documents had been placed on record and government authorities were intentionally withholding the details.

The bench adjourned further hearing till March 21 and asked the advocate general Punjab to come up with his arguments against the stay order regarding construction work within 200-foot radius of 11 heritage sites.

HEC official summoned: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab Higher Education Commission secretary to appear along with record of appointment of vice chancellors at four public sector varsities of the province.

As the court resumed hearing of the case, a law officer sought time to file a reply on behalf of the HEC-Punjab secretary. However, the court rejected the request and sought personal appearance of the senior officer.

Justice Shahid Karim had already stayed the process for the impugned appointments. The varsities include Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology Multan.

Dr Asmatullah of zoology department of Punjab University had challenged the process contending that Punjab HEC and the provincial higher education department initiated the process for the VCs appointment without lawful authority.

He said the search committees formed by the government were also illegal.

He said the powers to appoint the VCs solely rested with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, asking the court to direct the government to appoint the VCs in accordance with the law and observe merit.

The government’s counsel refuted the allegations and said the whole process for the VCs appointment was in accordance with law.

The hearing was adjourned till March 24.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2016