LAHORE: Continuing their protest against the Orange Line Metro Train Project’s existing route, civil society activists, groups and individuals on Sunday gathered outside the Shalamar Gardens to mount pressure on the government to review its development strategy that, according to them, is not only jeopardising major heritage sites, but also affecting the public.

Participants under banners of Lahore Bachao Tehreek, Lahore Conservation Society and other civil rights organisations shouted slogans, pledging to continue their protest till the Orange Line’s route was changed and the project constructed in consultation with citizens.

“The only solution is to pass the train underground by using tunnel technology as practiced by various developed and developing countries, including India,” said former Punjab minister for social welfare and chairperson of non-governmental organisation Bunyad, Shaheen Attiqur Rehman.

She said civilised nations protected their history and heritage; the Punjab government must also follow such practices rather than launching a project that could damage structure of important monuments such as Chauburji, the General Post Office and Shalamar Gardens besides disturbing people’s lives.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with messages, the protesters said the government’s developmental agenda, especially in Lahore, was not only hampering routine life, but also depriving people of their basic social and cultural rights.

“I don’t know why the planners and designers of this project avoid taking independent urban experts on board before inception of or launching such mega projects. Sometime back, various development schemes changed the view of Islamabad’s Blue Area. And now they (the government) have started a transport project in Lahore that will surely damage structures of monuments besides hindering their view,” deplored Kaleem Siddiqui, a seasoned architect, who also works as Commonwealth Architects Association’s senior vice president.

He said he was surprised to see that none of the departments concerned engaged experts and citizens except a small public hearing held on June 30 during the planning and designing of the project.

“This is a city of over 10 million people who love and own it. And a number of citizens will be affected directly or indirectly owing to land acquisition and other issues. So the government will have to take a number of citizens and civil society and experts on board whenever it plans or designs such projects,” he said.

Sara, an educationist, questioned why the government hesitated to use tunnel technology for this project.

“Though the use of this technology may take some time in completion of this project, but what will happen if it completes in four, five or six years,” she asked.

Marium Hussain, a civil society activist, claimed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation had already told the Punjab government to stop construction in front of Shalamar Gardens since it was an internationally recognised and protected heritage site.

The protesters, including LBT Chairperson Imrana Tiwana, Lahore Conservation Society Secretary Information Dr Ajaz Anwar, eminent city and urban planner Nayyer Ali Dada and former National College of Arts principal Nazish Attaulllah, took a round of the Shalamar intersection, demanding the government review the Orange Line project’s route and change it to save heritage sites and avoid disturbance to those whose property was being acquired for the project.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2015

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