LAHORE: In a last ditch attempt to influence Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict against construction work on the Orange Line Metro Train project close to 11 heritage sites, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the government is willing to work on building new heritage sites. The Punjab CM was addressing a press conference outside the LHC.
“We have told the respected high court that with China’s help we can always construct new historic buildings that are hundreds of years old,” he told the media. “Because with Chinese money and Punjabi speed, anything can be constructed, anywhere and anytime.”
When asked how academic and cultural values would be added to these new centuries-old sites, the CM said everything has been worked out. “The academic value can be added through Punjab Text Book Board Social Studies books,” he said. “We will also construct separate museums to showcase the age-old historic value of these new buildings.”
Further commenting on the LHC’s decision to stop construction within 200 feet the heritage sites, Shahbaz said that the person whose foot would be used isn’t specified.
“An infant’s foot is definitely manageable,” he said. “If that doesn’t work we can obviously alter arithmetic in Punjab Text Book Board primary school Mathematics books – because of course, the exact value of 200 is subjective.”
CM Shahbaz further said that business tycoon Malik Riaz is his inspiration behind the idea of constructing new heritage sites. “Bahria Town Lahore has a Trafalgar Square, Eiffel Tower and Egyptian Pyramids,” the CM pointed out. “We’re sure that other parts of Lahore would be willing to host Shalimar Gardens, Chuburgi, the General Post Office, in addition to the new heritage that we will construct.”
This article originally appeared in Khabaristan Times and has been reproduced with permission
