Sindh to declare two islands off Karachi’s coast protected forest area

Karachi: The Sindh government has decided to declare two small islands off Karachi’s coast protected forest area. The move is likely to further frustrate plans of the federal government to develop them into a modern city.

The decision to this effect was reached at the meeting of the Sindh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The cabinet decided to ask the Sindh Forest Department to formally issue the notification to declare Bundal and Buddo islands off Karachi’s coast protected forest area.

The Pakistan People’s Party, ruling in Sindh, has been of the firm view that the two islands, as per the Constitution of Pakistan, are part of the provincial territory and the provincial government is the sole authority to authorise development works there.

The PPP leaders said the mangrove forests around the islands had always been an important component of the marine ecosystem related to Karachi’s coast as forests should remain present for the availability of fisheries resources for local fishermen.

Sindh Information and Labour Minister, Saeed Ghani, told media persons after the cabinet meeting that the provincial government would issue the notification to declare the two islands protected forest area in line with the direction of Sindh High Court.

He said the court had issued the directives after certain people had filed a petition against the move of federal government to promulgate an ordinance to carry out development activities on these islands.

An Opposition legislator belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamal Siddiqui, said the latest decision of the Sindh government was aimed at keeping the islands under its “illegal occupation” without carrying out any development.

He reminded the Sindh government that the two islands were under the control of the federally run Port Qasim Authority as the latest decision of the Sindh government was illegal and unconstitutional.

Prime Minister, Imran Khan, during his speech at the launching of Green Line Bus Rapid Transit Service in Karachi late last year, appealed to the Sindh government to grant permission to develop the islands into a modern city.

He said the people of Sindh would be the sole beneficiary of this move.