THE Supreme Court’s green signal to Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train has come at a critical moment for the PML-N government in Punjab and Islamabad. The party had been struggling as a result of the court cases it has had to face after the Panama Papers leaks, and appears relieved that the Orange Train project can now move ahead. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been zealously pursuing the completion of the project before the next election — so strong had been his emotional connection with the project that, by all appearances, he had taken the suspension of work as a personal snub. The resumption of the project will signify the ‘return’ of the Shahbaz government in a big way after a period in which the provincial administration was often said to lack direction because of the uncertain situation the Sharif family and their party faced. With the reputation of the doer that he has, the chief minister is expected to thrive on that challenge that is now before him and do all he can to complete the project within a limited period of time. Lahore is going to be the site of some frantic activity in the run-up to the summer of 2018 when the next general elections are scheduled to be held.

This activity must be closely watched. In a split decision where one judge of the five-member bench wanted a fresh heritage assessment before allowing the project to proceed, the Supreme Court has given its go-ahead — on certain conditions. There will be constant monitoring and a halt to operations in case the vibration levels exceed safe limits. No excavation during the project will be allowed to affect any structure or foundation of the antiquities or heritage sites, and special arrangements will be made to strengthen the framework of these monuments. The protesting activists — justifiably disappointed that precedence has been given to development over history — may take heart from the court promise that in future, projects involving antiquities or heritage sites will be widely publicised and people’s hearings conducted and approvals obtained before work begins. The court wants a committee to ensure that these conditions are strictly adhered to. Some of these terms are so tough that at first glance they would seem almost impossible to meet — until they are juxtaposed against the will and passion of Shahbaz Sharif. This is where the monitors need to be extremely vigilant.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2017