KARACHI: The federal government will not initiate any work on Bundal and Buddu Islands under the Pakistan Island Development Authority (PIDA) Ordinance without taking the Sindh government on board, Attorney-General for Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan assured the Sindh High Court (SHC) here on Friday.
The AGP appeared before a division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, which is hearing the petition against the PIDA ordinance.
"There is no doubt that the islands belong to the people of Sindh. The ordinance is not a final decision. It can be amended," the attorney-general told the bench.
The attorney-general also assured the SHC bench that development work would not begin until the problems related to the islands were not solved and assured the court that the fishermen and mangroves would not be harmed by the development work planned for the islands.
He added that the federal government would begin the development work on the advice of the Sindh government.
The petitioner, Shahab Osto, pleaded the court to declare the impugned ordinance illegal, unconstitutional and of no legal effect and to restrain the federal government from taking over the two islands.
Meanwhile, activist Jibran Nasir told the court that the development work to be carried out on the islands would harm the mangroves and was "illegal".
"There is a danger of tsunami if the mangroves were eliminated," Nasir told the bench, explaining that the mangrove trees would be cut down if work began on the islands.
Meanwhile, Assistant Advocate-General of Sindh Shehryar Mehar told the court that the Sindh Assembly had passed a resolution against the ordinance. He also told the court that the provincial government was not consulted on the islands.
The court, after hearing all the sides, adjourned the hearing in the case till November 13.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media after the hearing outside the SHC, the AGP said that the federal government would redress the reservations of the Sindh government, and it was ready to make amendments to the Pakistan Island Development Authority (PIDA) Ordinance if needed.
He added that if the islands were to be developed, it would benefit the people of Sindh.
"I assure the people of Sindh that their rights will not be violated," said the government's top lawyer.
He added that the problems relating to the ownership of the islands could be resolved between the provincial and federal governments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020