Sindh opposes federal plan to establish cities on two islands

KARACHI: The Sindh government has rejected the federal government’s proposal of construction of new cities on Bhandar and Dangi Islands.

In a rather strong-worded reaction, Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Ismail Rahu on Monday said the dream of the Federation to build a new city on the coast of Sindh will never come true. The minister said the federal government has also not consulted the Sindh government on the issue either.

He said that according to the Constitution of Pakistan, up to 12 nautical miles of maritime boundaries fall under the jurisdiction of the Sindh government and the Federation will not be allowed to occupy the lands and resources of the Sindh province. Without the permission of Sindh government, the Federation could not build anything in any part of the province, he said.

Ismail Rahu said that the Federation is bringing the Pakistan Islands Development Authority 2020 Act to occupy the islands of Sindh and Balochistan, which is not acceptable. The Federation could not even amend Rule 27 (5) A and Rule 27 (8) 1973 for establishing the authority without the permission of the provinces, the minister said. He also asserted that establishing new cities on the islands would destroy all aquatic life, including fish and mangrove forests. Gen (retd) Musharraf’s similar attempt to build cities on Bhandar and Dangi Islands also failed in the past, he said.