A Pakistani court on Friday banned construction of the country’s first rapid mass transit system within 200 feet (61 meters) of historic buildings in the city of Lahore, in a victory for heritage campaigners.
Campaigners had argued that the Chinese-funded metro project, most of which will be elevated, would endanger sites including the Mughal Fort, the Shalimar Gardens — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a nineteenth century British-built church and the Victorian-era General Post Office. “We are very much concerned about heritage in the city. The court has accepted our arguments and ordered construction to stop,” said Azhar Siddique, a lawyer and petitioner in the case.
The Lahore High Court judgment upholds an earlier decision in January. However, the court declared that environmental approvals that the petitioners had said should be canceled were valid, thereby allowing construction more than 200 feet from protected monuments to proceed. The project manager of the Lahore Metro was not available to comment on the impact the ruling would have on construction.
Public transport is in desperately short supply in Pakistan and the government hopes the metro will ease travel in one of the country’s fastest-growing cities.
The route of the line has puzzled many experts, however, who say far less damaging alternative routes were not considered, the United Nations said in January.
Construction began last year and has led to forced evictions and threatened protected sites and minority places of worship, the United Nations said.
Source: Arab News
GMT 11:14 2018 Monday ,22 January
Bahraini-Japanese cultural cooperation highlightedGMT 08:37 2018 Sunday ,21 January
N. Korean arts delegation to visit South on SundayGMT 05:46 2018 Saturday ,20 January
Experts give one in the eye to Bayeux Tapestry loan offerGMT 23:29 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Jiri Drahos, the singing scientist runningGMT 23:47 2018 Saturday ,13 January
The Partition Museum: Opening up about the painGMT 18:28 2018 Saturday ,13 January
Second Global Energy Forum kicks off in Abu DhabiGMT 10:05 2018 Friday ,12 January
US museum extends $10 million art theft rewardGMT 16:10 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Leaders congratulated by speaker on National Guard anniversaryMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor