LAHORE: Civil society activists demanded on Thursday that the Punjab government stop work on the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project immediately, and announced a protest rally on Jan 15 at GPO Chowk.

A press release said IA Rehman, Kamil Khan Mumtaz, Nayyar Ali Dada, Yasmin Lari, Arif Hassan, Sajjad Kausar, Dr Ajaz Anwar, Salima Hashmi and Feryal Gauhar besides the representatives of the Judicial Activism Panel, the Institute Of Architects Pakistan, SAP-PK, the Pakistan Council Of Architects And Town Planners, the Union Of International Architects and Pakistan Environmental Lawyers Associationattended a press briefing.

They said the project would make thousands of people homeless and jobless. They said the project would also reduce actual market price of the properties along the route.

It would also impact the identity of Lahore`s international heritage.

They demanded that the Punjab government spend funds on other more important issues.

Also, shopkeepers staged a demonstration against the project near Boharwala Chowk.

The protesters burnt tyres and blocked traffic for some times, demanding the government either scrap the construction or compensate them adequately as per market rates with rehabilitation charges.