Orange Line train trial run today

LAHORE: Punjab Transport Minister Jahanzaib Khan Khichi will inaugurate the Orange Line Metro Train project on Tuesday (today).

However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) organised a gathering to celebrate the launch of the project. They danced in joy, chanted slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and distributed sweets among themselves. Banners and placards were also displayed to pay tribute to the PML-N leadership over their welfare projects in the Lahore as well as all parts of Punjab and the country. “Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is a most modern addition to transport structure in Pakistan, which is a great gift by former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to the people of Lahore,” said the PML-N leaders while speaking to workers and general public at a gathering, organised at GPO Chowk on The Mall on Monday.

PML-N leaders including MNA Pervaiz Malik, Khwaja Ahmad Hassan, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bukhari, MPAs, workers and a large number of people attended the ceremony.

Punjab Transport Minister Jahanzaib Khan Khichi will launch the trial run of the train on Tuesday, as Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had excused himself from attending the opening ceremony due to his engagements in Islamabad.

The Punjab government claims to be operationalising the train before the Supreme Court given deadline of January 2020. However, it is learnt that the safety audit of construction infrastructure, power system and other parts of the project could not be completed as yet.

The Punjab government has also invited former chief minister and opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif for opening of the project, who expressed his inability to attend the ceremony. However, he directed the party leaders and workers to separately participate in the opening of on Tuesday and inform the general public about development projects of the PML-N government in Punjab.

The PML-N workers have made plans to celebrate the OLMT trial run along the 27-km long train route at various points. PML-N leader Khwaja Ahmad Hassan said the Train would benefit more than 250,000 people daily. “It will also create more than 5,000 jobs for people,” he said. PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bukhari said Shahbaz Sharif had fulfilled his promise of inexpensive and quality transport facilities to the people of Lahore.