Court seeks larger bench on train, CPEC, power projects

LAHORE

A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday requested the Chief Justice to constitute a larger bench on an Intra Court Appeal challenging Orange Line Train Project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and 12 other coal power projects.

During course of hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Butt turned up before the bench and said coal power projects and orange line project were of public interests. He said a division bench comprising Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and Justice Shahid Karim had stayed the orange line project which was causing loss of millions of rupees to the government every day.  

Attorney General pleaded the court to consolidate all petitions filed on the same subject and constitute a larger bench. When court asked Syed Feroz Shah Gillani, the lawyer-petitioner, about constitution of the larger bench he said he had no objection to it.

At this, the bench headed by Justice Khan sent the petition to the Chief Justice and requested him to consolidate all petitions on Orange Line and coal power projects and constitute a larger bench.

Syed Feroze Shah Gillani advocate had filed Intra Court Appeal against coal power projects being built in Punjab. He said that the federal government had started different projects, including Sahiwal coal power project, Thar coal power project besides China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

The petitioner said that the federal government had taken Rs46 billion loan from a Chinese bank for all these projects. He alleged that the coal power projects would create environment pollution in shape of emission of carbon dioxide and smoke. He told the court that China and all developed nation had left all projects based on coal, especially China which was producing power through gas, crude oil and nuclear resources. It was very unfortunate that Pakistan was adopting coal energy for all its projects. The petitioner stated that PEPRA rules had also been violated as the authorities concerned did not bother to consider these rules prior to initiating all these projects. Coal power projects were part of the CPEC and if these project were built there would be a big threat for Pakistan, said the petitioner. He prayed to the bench to set aside the orders of the single bench and stop the federal government from establishing all these projects.   

A division bench headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh had already stayed construction of the Orange Line Project within 200 feet radius of historical buildings in the city.