Sindh withdraws decision to hand over twin islands to federal govt

(Karachi) Sindh government has withdrawn its decision to hand over islands located off Karachi's coast to the federal government following a campaign in the province by right activists, Sindhi nationalists, civil society and others, an article published in Express Tribune reported on Wednesday.

Both Sindh and federal governments are at loggerheads over possession of the islands. The Sindh government had asked the federal government to immediately withdraw an ordinance aimed at taking control of two islands along Karachi's coast, Bundal and Buddo.

In a press conference on Tuesday, PPP leaders stated that the islands belong exclusively to the people and the government of Sindh. They termed the move by federal government as "illegal annexation" of the islands and changing the boundaries of the province in violation of Article 239 (4) of the Constitution.

The provincial cabinet had also decided not to hold any further discussion with the Centre regarding the development of the islands.

On August 31, President Arif Alvi promulgated the Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA) Ordinance, 2020, to facilitate the Centre to take control of Sindh’s two islands — Bundal and Buddo.

The establishment of PIDA aims to develop and manage the islands in the internal waters and territorial waters of Pakistan.

However, the enactment of the ordinance drew strong criticism from Pakistan Peoples Party.

A day earlier, PTI's Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi had said the federal government wanted to develop islands located in Karachi and accused the PPP of ‘hypocrisy’ of opposing the ordinances aimed at creating an islands development authority.