Sindhi civil society rejects Islands Development Authority

KARACHI: Sindhi civil society has rejected the federal government’s move regarding establishing of “Pakistan Islands Development Authority” terming it illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of provincial autonomy.

Constitutional experts, writers, intellectuals, political leaders social activists and civil society activists rejected the federal government’s act of formation of the said Authority through an ordinance of the President of Pakistan and termed it in violation of Article 172/2 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

According to the official gazette, President of Pakistan on August 31, 2020, through an ordinance established Pakistan Islands Development Authority. According to official announcement, the Authority has been formed for the development and management of the islands in the internal waters and territorial waters of Pakistan.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has also rejected the said presidential ordinance, saying it is like a land-grabbing upon Sindh government’s land. The PPP Central Information Secretary Nafisa Shah in her tweet said that PPP rejects this unconstitutional ordinance of establishing Islands Development Authority. “This is no less than a land grabbing and occupation of islands that belong to the people of Sindh under Article 172/2 of the Constitution,” she said.

A joint consultative meeting was organised by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Indigenous Rights Alliance and Aurat Foundation at a local hotel.

Chairman PFF Muhammad Ali Shah, Human Rights Advocate IA Rehman, PILER’s Executive Director Karamat Ali and others addressed the meeting. Highlighting the issue, Muhammad Ali Shah said the federal government has decided to constitute Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA) and construct the city on twin islands on Bhundar (Bundal) and Dingi without any consultation with the Sindh government despite the fact that area falls under the provincial jurisdiction.

The federal government’s action is not only against the Constitution of Pakistan but it is also against international conventions and agreements, which provide social, economic, and cultural sovereignty to the indigenous people, he said.

“The construction of the city and development of islands would deprive around 800,000 fishermen of their livelihood and they would suffer extreme poverty,” he said. Along with Dingi and Bundal, these islands are home to thousands of hectares of mangrove forests. These forests are nurseries of fish and shrimps while these creeks from Karachi to Thatta are fishing grounds for the fishermen.

With the construction of a new city, fishermen’s fishing grounds will come to an end along with their pathways. The development of islands and the construction of any city would also harm the environment.

Awami Tehreek head Ayaz Latif Palijo, Sindh Tarqi Pasand Party head Dr Qadir Magsi, Sindh United Party’s President Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, senior lawyer Yousif Leghari, former advocate general Sindh Barrister Zameer Ghumro, advocate Shabir Shar, advocate Shahid Soomro, writer Manzoor Solangi, writer Shakeel Soomro, writer Asghar Soomro and others also rejected the said move of the federal government and presidential ordinance and termed it the clear violation of the constitution and provincial autonomy.