LAHORE: Loan agreement between the Pakistan government and a Chinese bank for Orange Line Metro Train project has been challenged before the Lahore High Court.
Some civil society members, main petitioners in the case against the project, have challenged the agreement by filing a civil miscellaneous application through Advocate Azhar Siddique, saying Rs250 billion loan is being sought from Exim Bank of China only for the project.
The application says annual budget for Balochistan province is Rs289bn, Rs505bn for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs869bn for Sindh and Rs1,690bn for Punjab.
It shows that the budget for the Orange Line is equal to that of one province, the application states, adding that people have been suffering at hospitals as there is no proper medication for them but the rulers are spending billions of rupees on a train project.
It says the loan agreement is against Section 10 of Punjab Mass Transit Authority Act 2015 and the Constitution. It asks the court to set aside the loan agreement of the government with the Chinese bank.
Advocate Siddique also filed another application asking the court to stay the multi-billion project in view of deaths occurred due to poor management and measures taken for the safety of workers.
The lawyer says at least 27 people have died at different construction sites of the project. He asks the court to stay the construction of the project till appropriate measures are not taken for the protection of workers. The main case of the project is fixed before a division bench for June 23.
