Lahore metro train service launched

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Sunday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) set a new example by completing projects of previous governments as he inaugurated operations of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), a project envisioned by his predecessor Shahbaz Sharif.

The ceremony was also held in Beijing, which was attended by authorities of National Development Reforms Commission, CR Norinko and top Chinese officials. The ceremony was broadcast live through video-link. Chief Minister Buzdar unveiled the plaque and prayed.

Later, the chief minister, along with Chinese consul general, formally inaugurated the OLMT by pressing a button. The project falls under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister said CPEC will further strengthen bilateral relations and thanked the Chinese government for its support to provide world class transport facilities to the people of Lahore. He also invited Chinese companies and investors to invest in different sectors of the province.

Buzdar said installations and decorations at all 26 stations along the 27.1km track have been completed, adding that automatic machines have been placed at the stations to check and recharge card balance. Ticket boxes have also been made for those who do not possess cards, he said. He said the PTI government had set a new example by successfully completing the projects of previous government. He added that no development project would be politically victimised during the present government’s tenure.

Buzdar said billions of the public’s money had been saved by ensuring a “transparent tendering process” of the OLMT. He mentioned that the Punjab government was giving subsidy of billion of rupees annually to run the orange line train despite the current economic situation and limited resources.

The project was the brainchild of Buzdar’s predecessor Shahbaz Sharif, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders had much to say about the launch. In a statement, party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb congratulated Shahbaz over the project’s inauguration and said Prime Minister Imran Khan must be embarrassed on launching a project that was started by Shahbaz. In a talk with supporters, PML-N leaders Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafiq distributed sweets and congratulated the party leadership for the launch.