‘Courts have no power to interfere in policy matters’

Court asks AGP to complete arguments on train project today

LAHORE

Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Butt Monday asked the Lahore High Court to vacate stay orders on Orange Line Train Project as they were causing loss of billions of rupees to the government.

He said the courts had no power to interfere in the policy matters of the state.

The AGP pointed out that if allegations of corruption or mala fide intention are levelled against any project then that project could be examined and probed by independent judicial inquiry.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh heard the case while Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Butt, Advocate General Punjab Shakil-ur-Rehman and many other lawyers were present in the court. The affectees of the project thronged the court.

The AGP argued that Orange Line Project is of public interest and in all over the world, such projects are preferred to historical sites. On it, Justice Sheikh remarked: “It does not seem right as UK built many mega projects but she did not even touch her assets”. The judge asked the AGP to complete his arguments by March 8 (today). The bench ordered the local commission appointed to examine the violation of the courts’ orders regarding stay on the construction of the project at historical sites to file their report soon. The court issued a notice to the Punjab government to furnish reasons behind initiation of Orange Line Project—a mega project, over education and health, on an application seeking reasons behind the project.

Meanwhile, Advocate Azhar Siddique, who was representing the civil society, said the federal government could not prove its link with this project on solid grounds. Mere filing an application to vacate stay does not mean that it is the proper party in the case, he argued. 

On January 28, the LHC stayed construction of Orange Line Project within 200 feet of 11 historical sites of the city after the government’s lawyer failed to give reasons behind the change of route of the project.