LAHORE: The issues pertaining to displacement and compensation stemming from the Orange Line Metro Train never refuses to go away.

“I want a house for my house snatched for the metro train project,” Nighat Ara, a disabled woman, at a press conference pleaded to the chief minister on Saturday. She said she was evicted from her house in Parachute Colony.

She criticised the Rs1 million compensation for each unit acquired in Parachute Colony.

Maqsood Husain, a shopkeeper on Multan Road, said he had lost the money which he had given to the shop owner as security.

“You people (the government) paid well to property owners. You should know about our problems too,” he said.

Mian Muhammad Ismael, another shopkeeper of the Thokar area, criticised the government for not taking care of health issues caused by the construction work.

Shakeel Ahmad, of Parachute Colony, accused the government of saving the house and businesses of provincial minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman from the metro train route.

Saleem Sylvester was concerned about the protection of four churches, whose land was being acquired temporarily or permanently for the project. Churches on Nabha Road and The Mall and Naulakha an Boharwala chowks have been affected by the project. He said even though the government denied acquiring the churches land, would it ensure the security and sanctity of the churches on Naulkha and Boharwala chowks where the track would be elevated.

Dr Ajaz Anwar, conservationist, criticised the police for harassing him for, what he said, raising his voice against the project.

Nighat Saeed asked the government to launch development projects for the development of the public at large and not for a certain class of people.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2016