KARACHI: More than a dozen decrepit dogs splash into the Arabian Sea as the small wooden boat approaches. They know the fishermen’s mission: bringing food and water for the canine population of one of Karachi’s “dog islands.”
The boat, powered by an old jeep engine, stops when the water is still waist-high, two fishermen jumping from it to wade ashore the low, barren, waste-covered beach, whose only inhabitants are barking their welcome.
The island, known as Dingy or Buddo, is one of dozens populated by dogs that line the shore south of the sprawling port megacity.
Conservative figures estimate the feral dog population of Karachi could number up to 35,000.
With animal rights at their nadir and religious sentiment in the Muslim country partly to blame for a prejudice against dogs, the figures spark a brutal culling each year that sees bodies pile up in the streets, rotting in the sweltering heat as they wait to be bulldozed away.
The islands, despite their lack of food and fresh water, have become a sanctuary, an alternative where estimates suggest hundreds of dogs avoid the cull.
But their survival depends almost entirely on the supplies brought to them by Karachi’s fishermen as they trawl the coast.
“We see them standing at the shore of the island in hope of food from us. So we feel their silent call,” says Abdul Aziz, a 30-year-old fisherman, after feeding the dogs on Dingy Island some pancakes and water left over from their own supplies.
It is not known for sure who first brought dogs to the islands, but fishermen believe they were transported by villagers along the coastal areas seeking to save them from the cull.
Sometimes they scavenge dead fish that float ashore, or smaller animals on the outcrops. In desperation, they have been known to turn on each other for survival, the fishermen say.
With no fresh water source, compelled by thirst, they have also been known to drink the brackish water that forms in pools along the island shores, underscoring the urgency of the fishermen’s mission.
On Dingy Island, the dogs leap around Aziz and his colleague Mohammad Dada, standing on their hind legs and pawing at the pair in the scramble for food and water.
Puppies are overrun by the larger dogs. But the kind fishermen make sure even the smallest get a share.
“A human being is nothing without humanity,” Aziz says, looking at the island, where plastic bags and a syringe lie among the hungry creatures.
“When we feel the pinch of hunger and thirst, they also must be feeling it.”
Isle of dogs: Pakistan fishermen feed islands full of strays
Isle of dogs: Pakistan fishermen feed islands full of strays
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
