LAHORE: Orange Line project has consumed about one-third of total area of the historic Punjab University ground, adjacent to PIA Planetarium near Chauburji, for the construction of the underground portion (about 1.8km) of the metro train track.

The project work on the one-third portion of the ground (also known as Jahaz ground) has not only hit the routine sports activities but also damaged the remaining part of the lush green area, where people from adjacent localities would go for their morning walk and other healthy activities like weight lifting.

The ground was developed for the students of the then Punjab University’s main campus (now old campus) before the partition.

Old residents of the area still remember many known sportsmen practicing and playing matches in the ground.

“I used to come here and see international cricketers, including Mushtaq Muhammad, doing net practice here. But now my heart bleeds when I see this historical place being vandalised for the train project,” says Advocate Rehmat Ali, who is now in his late 60s.

“We used to live in the Jain Mandir area from where we shifted to Iqbal Town. On learning about the damage done to the place because of the train project, I decided to especially visit the ground. I think around 40pc of the ground area has been consumed by the project,” he adds.

Mr Rehmat Ali laments that the execution of such a huge project in the middle of a bustling city with a rich heritage has caused a lot of devastation along the train route from Ali Town (Raiwind Road) to Dera Gujran.

Mr Hanif, a resident of the Walled City, could still remember watching cricket icons like Asif Iqbal, Zaheer Abbas and Wasim Raja playing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy matches in the ground.

“Those were the days. There used to be no security issues. We as lads would visit the ground and somehow manage to find a place close the players in the open pavilion as there were no fences,” he remembers.

In the adjacent grounds, hockey and football matches would be held, recalls Ahmad, who resided on the nearby Rabbani Road. These matches would attract a lot of spectators, he adds.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2016