Pakistan Islands Development Authority

The Pakistan Islands Development Authority (Urdu: پاکستان جزیروں کی ترقیاتی اتہاڑٹی ‎); abbreviated as PIDA) is a newly formed controversial agency by federal government of Pakistan to deal with Pakistan Islands located in Arabian Sea along with Sindh and Balochistan coastal belt.


Pakistan Islands Development Authority
پاکستان جزیروں کی ترقیاتی اتہارٹی
Agency overview
JurisdictionGovernment of Pakistan
HeadquartersKarachi
Agency executives
  • Imran Khan
  • Imran Amin
Websitewww.pida.gov.pk
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Formation

Pakistan Islands Development Authority formulated via Presidential ordinance on 2 September 2020 and after a month later it came in news. The 'Pakistan Island Development Authority Ordinance 2020' on the website of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs was issued on the 2nd of last month and the 25-page ordinance provides for the development of islands off the coasts of Balochistan and Sindh. The Pakistan Island Development Authority has been set up. Its first and current chairman is Mr. Imran Amin.

The federal government intends to build modern cities on all these uninhabited islands off the coast of the country (Sindh and Balochistan), arguing that not only investment can come to the country but also the local people can prosper.[1]

The work began with two islands off the coast of Sindh. However this development has strongly been criticized and resisted, arguing it not only disturbs and damages natural ecosystems, but also disturbs the simplistic lifestyle of the local people of the area, who have vowed to resist it. The federal governments move has also been condemned as unconstitutional.[2]

Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance
Main article: Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance

According to the ordinance, all the islands on the coasts of Balochistan and Sindh, including Bundal and Buddo, are now owned by the federation and have been placed in Schedule-I. The Ordinance, citing the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1976, states that up to 12 nautical miles from coast to sea will now be considered the property of the Authority.[3][4]

According to the ordinance, the authority will have its office in Karachi and will be headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan himself.

A board of five to 11 members will also be formed to run the affairs of the authority. The board will be chaired by a chairman who will be elected for five years. According to the authority given to the authority, this authority also has the power to transfer, use, collect taxes and sell the lands of these islands. According to Article 49 of the Ordinance, it cannot be challenged in any court.

Sindh Assembly and people of Sindh has rejected the ordinance.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Islands Disputed

People of Sindh have severe concerns and rejected federal occupation over the provincial costal islands,[12][13][7][14][8][15] because the costal territory of 18 nautical miles is under jurisdiction of respective province i.e. Sindh, and the Pakistan federal government boundaries starts after 18 nautical miles till reaching the international sea water boundary.[16][17][18] The idea of building a modern city on the islands did not come suddenly to the federation. Its links date back to the Musharraf era.[19]

Pakistan illegally annexed and took direct control over the islands of Sindh[20][21] and is selling twin islands Buddo and Bundal islands to China under CPEC debt trap.[22][23][24][25][26][27] Ordinance was challenged in SHC.[28]

The islands were first mentioned in the media in 2006 when the then government wanted to build the world's most modern cities on the islands, and for that, it approached a UAE construction group for investment and multi-investment. Was prepared.

According to a press statement issued by the then Federal Minister for Shipping and Ports, Babar Ghauri, “The federal government has completed a basic survey to settle the city on islands in the sea, a new city master plan has been drawn up and this new More than a dozen high-level meetings have been held to populate the city. The main stakeholder of this project is Karachi Port Trust.

But political problems in the country did not allow the Musharraf government to take over, and with the fall of the government, the plan fell into disrepair.

The controversy resurfaced in 2013. Even then, the federal government wanted to invest heavily here, and a 45 billion investment deal was being struck.

This time the deal was being struck with a celebrity from Pakistan's construction sector who wanted to build modern buildings here with a group from the United Arab Emirates.

But pressure from civil society and the provincial government once again saved the islands.

Environment issues

Fishermen will lose livelihood[19] and ecosystem will be at risk by developing urban infrastructure over the islands.[14][15]

Reference
  1. islands Development Authority/Pakistan-islands-Development-Authority.l بھنڈر اور ڈنگی: وفاقی حکومتِ بحیرۂ عرب کی ساحلی پٹی کے جزائر کو آباد کیوں کرنا چاہتی ہے؟ بی بی سی کا اردو
  2. "Pakistan's Arabian Sea islands risk environmental disaster". DW, Asia.
  3. "Islands Development Authority Ordinance challenged in SHC, notices issued". The Nation. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  4. Hassan, Parvez (14 October 2020). "A tale of two islands". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. "Sindh cabinet rejects Pakistan Island Development Authority Ordinance". The Nation. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  6. "Sindh withdraws decision to hand over islands to Centre". Daily Times. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. Report, Recorder (7 October 2020). "Pakistan Island Development Authority: Sindh cabinet rejects presidential ordinance". Brecorder. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  8. "Sindh assembly rejects presidential ordinance for island development by passing resolution". Arab News PK. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  9. Desk, Web (5 October 2020). "PPP rejects Pakistan Island Development Authority ordinance". The Financial Daily. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. Azfar-ul-Ashfaque (6 October 2020). "Centre move to take over Sindh islands slammed". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  11. "Sindh rolls back plan to give islands to Centre". The Express Tribune. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  12. "Pakistan politicians fear losing strategic islands to China". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  13. "Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ord: Sindh resistance movement gathers momentum". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  14. "Island authority ordinance shocks Sindh province". South Asia Monitor. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  15. "Sindhis are furious over Pakistan's forcible takeover of Sindh islands". News Intervention. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  16. "Pakistan - PIDA to Develop Islands, Reclaimable Coastal Areas". www.coastalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  17. "A handbook on Pakistan's coastal and Marine resources" (PDF). iucn.org.
  18. "Fig. 1. Map of Pakistan showing detailed coastline of Balochistan and..." ResearchGate. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  19. Service, Tribune News. "Pushing Sindh to the brink". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  20. "Sindh islands illegally annexed by Imran Khan govt: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto". The Indian Express. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  21. "Pakistan politicians fear losing strategic islands to China". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  22. Chaudhary, Smriti (13 October 2020). "Pakistan On Verge Of Losing Strategic 'Twin Islands' To China Under 'Debt-Trap' CPEC Project?". Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  23. "Pakistan Selling Bhundar (Bundal) and Dingi Islands in Occupied Sindh to China". 6 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  24. "Is Pakistan planning to gift two Sindh islands to China on a platter?". Zee News. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  25. "Is Pakistan planning to gift Sindh islands to China through the PIDA ordinance?". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  26. "Pakistan planning to gift 2 Sindh islands to China on a platter, here's why". DNA India. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  27. "Now, Pak to 'transfer' 2 strategic islands near Karachi to China Pakistan". Revoi.in. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  28. "Islands Development Authority Ordinance challenged in SHC, notices issued". The Nation. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
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