The government of Punjab has been quite successful in its strategy of forcing down the current design of Orange Metro Train by encouraging contractors to keep up an extraordinary pace of work. It has created such a momentum for the government that even the affected people, whose homes or businesses are marked for demolition, don’t see much hope in standing up against the plan. It has also resulted in traffic chaos and deaths of over 30 people -- three people have died in last week only along the construction route -- primarily because of a complete lack of planning and safety measures.

Who is accountable for the precious lives and millions of work hours lost? The same government has not allowed the celebration of centuries’ old Basant festival for eight years because it argues that it cannot guarantee citizens’ safety. However, all is kosher for the Orange Train. As the arguments against Orange Metro Train continue in the Lahore High Court, the amicus curiae stated that the project could be stopped if the court found it contrary to law and fundamental rights of the citizens.

The purpose of this article is to raise some pertinent questions about the Orange Metro Train to extend the discussion of citizen rights and participation in a democratic setup.

In terms of transport planning, why is the government not following the plan for integrated mass transit system of Lahore as conceived in 2007 after two years of research on which $9 million were spent? The original plan had a 7 kilometres underground tunnel before Chauburgi to Old Anarkali-Lakshmi-McLeod Road-GT Road (Sultanpura) and was designed for the very reason to save the destruction of Lahore. Why is the government not using tunnel technology which, though more expensive than elevated and cut-and-cover plan, is better suited for Lahore, an old city with rich heritage. It is better because; one, it can run at higher speed with more commuters because of a clear, direct path without obstructions as against the elevated (Lakshmi Chowk); two, it has minimal land acquisition costs especially for areas with high property values (McLeod Road); three, it leads to appreciation of property values and urban renewal of the area because of increased access, as against elevated which leads to depreciation of property values and urban dilapidation of the area.

How will the Mass Transit System (4 Lines) be integrated to serve Lahore for the next 50 years?

The government has not followed the original plan which had interchange stations underground the Railway Station (between Orange and Purple - between the Railway Station and the Airport). In the current design, the station is 500 metres from the Railway Station which defeats the very purpose of an integrated Mass Transit System. Thus passengers with luggage would have to carry their baggage from the station on foot/rickshaw to the Railway Station.

In terms of land acquisition and human rights, can the government acquire 1000 kanals in the most congested parts of the city, make people homeless and destroy livelihoods for a project, which had originally been designed with a different route/technology (tunnel underground) to avoid all this destruction.

With better alternative available, does the state have the right to displace and destroy citizens’ lives for a project, which is rejected by both citizens and experts? How can the government break its own law, threaten the people verbally, force people illegally out of their homes without prior compensation, proper advance notice, and say that it will give them ‘DC Rate’ (a lot lower than market rate) at a later date?

The Land Acquisition Act requires written notice, proper time for citizens to make alternative arrangements and 15 per cent above market value for acquisition for public purposes. From Dera Gujran-Sultanpura on GT Road to Nicolson Road, the state has forced people out of their homes, threatened them through police, demolished their houses and has even destroyed a medical clinic which had a stay order pending in the Lahore High Court.

Additionally, an elevated viaduct through the heart of Lahore will decrease the property prices of the areas along the route. Instead of urban renewal that happens with the creation of tunnel underground metro, it will lead to urban dilapidation where elevated structures are raised. The government is trying to destroy the heart of Lahore from Chauburji, Old Anarkali, Lakshmi, Macleod Road, Railway Station area to Shalamar, rather than creating conditions of urban renewal for the citizens of this area?

Then there is heritage, identity and character of a city. Does any government have the right to change the very character of the city of Lahore, especially when its citizens have not been taken into confidence? Can it destroy the heritage (communities and monuments) that Lahore has had for centuries? If Istanbul as a gateway to Turkish tourism generates $20-30 billion in revenue every year, why is the government destroying the Lahore heritage corridor (Chauburgi, Mauj Darya Shrine, Lakshmi, Shalamar -- a total of 25 sites in the corridor) by using cut and cover technology or taking an elevated train near these sites? The government says (as per Lahore commissioner’s statement) that it is in correspondence with UNESCO regarding the impact on heritage sites, and has responded to the UNESCO’s letter. But the government has neither stopped work near the heritage sites (Chauburgi) in clear violation of its laws -- the National Antiquities Act 1975, and World Heritage Convention 1972 for Shalamar Gardens -- nor shared the letter that it has written to the UNESCO with the Lahore Conservation Society.

Why is the government not sharing its plan for heritage sites with the citizens of Lahore, who are the real custodians of the city and its heritage? The government has just casually rejected the issues raised by the UN experts, as if Pakistan is some hinterland kingdom.

Moreover, the environment and health concerns need to be assessed. When over a thousand people died in Karachi last year because of heatwave, and both Beijing and Delhi are suffering from extreme pollution, why is the Punjab government making concrete elevated structures through the heart of the city which will raise temperature and pollutants and lead to cutting of hundreds of trees? Does the government want to convert Lahore into Karachi with a few trees? Does the government not understand why the world got together in Paris last year to deliberate actions towards limiting climate change?

Lastly, we need to discuss due process in a democracy. Why do citizens only find out about the Orange Train route when their houses and businesses have already been marked for destruction and they are told that their houses will be bulldozed in three days? Is it not the (legal) responsibility of the state to take its citizens into confidence about the whole project in advance, especially those along the route? Also, is it not the responsibility of the state to provide citizens ample time, services and compensation ahead of time?

How could the government start the project before the loan from the Chinese was sanctioned? The loan was granted in December but the work started months before it.

Additionally, the official stated cost in PC-1 is Rs170.5 billion ($1.64 billion) and funding requirement is Rs182 billion ($1.75 billion). The Chinese are giving a loan of $1.6 billion and the government has allocated Rs10 billion for Orange Metro Train in the 2015-16 Punjab development budget which comes to $1.7 billion. The PC-1 does not include (compensation for) land acquisition costs, interest on loan, destruction of livelihoods, repair and reconstruction of public buildings and amenity plots, relocation costs of existing urban services etc. Where will the money for all this come from as it is not included in any government budget?

Despite repeated requests, the government has not shared its documents with citizens under the Freedom of Information Act. What is the government hiding and why is it not following its own laws? Is this the city of the citizens of Lahore or is this the city of a few men? Is this democracy where people are not involved in the future of their city and the burden of Rs160 billion loan will be shared by the citizens?

If the Orange Metro Train is made despite the above listed questions and objections, it would be an indication of unaccountable power of the state and weakness of the current political system and civil society.