KARACHI: In the quarrel over building a gleaming “new Dubai” on two small islands off Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast, the voices of the fishermen who have plied these waters for centuries often go unheard.
Steering his boat out of the Jamote jetty in the village of Ebrahim Haideri, 25-year-old fisherman Shakil said the islands around which he catches fish, crab and shrimp are now patrolled by armed guards.
“We have been fishing in these waters for centuries,” said Shakil, who did not want to give his full name. But when he tried to go near the island of Dingi recently he was apprehended by military guards and ordered to get into the “murgha” stress position, he said.
“If we did not do it they said they would hit us with batons,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
A month ago, the twin islands of Bundal and Dingi at the mouth of Qur’angi Creek in the port city of Karachi in Pakistan’s Sindh province were taken over by the federal government through an overnight presidential ordinance.
With an investment of about $50 billion, the government aims to develop a city that will “surpass Dubai” and create 150,000 jobs, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said at a news conference in the capital Islamabad earlier this month.
But fisherfolk say the development on the islands — spread over 12,000 acres (49 square kms) — could destroy their livelihoods and that they have not been consulted.
“We continue to remain invisible to both the (Sindh and federal) governments,” Mohammad Ali Shah, founder of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) that aims to protect the rights of fishermen and fishing communities, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Nasir Hussain Shah, the Sindh government’s information minister, rejected the central government’s takeover of the islands and said Islamabad had not shared its development plans. Pakistan’s Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi, did not respond to a request for comment.
The PFF is leading a protest campaign against the island development, arguing the fishermen are “the rightful owners” of the territory. It has called upon the provincial government to protect the rights of Sindh’s fishermen.
“Do not think of these islands as mere tracts of land,” said Shah. “We are inextricably linked to them by culture, custom and heritage.”
He said thousands of fisherfolk and their families gather for traditional festivals on these islands every year.
But more importantly, the fishing communities are concerned about the impact of construction — and the diversion and pollution of water — on the islands’ fragile ecosystem.
“After the creeks dry up, the mangroves will die. This, in turn, will destroy the habitat of many marine creatures which is a source of our livelihood,” Shah said.
LIVELIHOODS
Fishing provides employment to 600,000 people in Sindh province, according to Sindh Fisheries Department’s director, Aslam Jarwar.
“Seventy-one percent of Pakistan’s fish comes from the province through the Arabian Sea, estuaries, canals and inland lakes,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The coastal waters are the habitat for 40 species of fish and shellfish and 15 species of shrimp, which make up 60% of Pakistan’s fisheries exports.
For fisherman Kamal Shah, the development will spell disaster: “They might as well kill us; we exist because of these islands, if they occupy them, it will be a death blow to our livelihoods,” he said.
Although no one lives permanently on the islands, lawyer Shuhab Usto said the fisherfolk had customary rights to use the land. He said it is clear the islands have been used as “transit stations” and “easement” by the fishermen for centuries.
“Suddenly dislodging them and depriving them of their right to earn a living is not legally tenable,” as it contravenes Articles 9 and 18 of Pakistan’s constitution, he said.
And the takeover of the islands has caused legal confusion for the fisherfolk, he said.
“Which high court do the complainants (fishermen) take their petition to? If the islands are the federal government’s property, these are beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court,” he said, while the high court in Islamabad would not have jurisdiction over the territory.
PROMISED EMPLOYMENT
The government has promised employment for the fisherfolk once construction work gets started although no details have been shared. Kamal Shah is skeptical.
“In the last over two decades the fishermen had been ousted from three prime fishing spots. Not only that, no villager has been employed either,” Kamal Shah said, adding that not only have fish stocks dwindled, but the areas in which the fishermen can cast their nets has shrunk due to development.
“Our people ... used to fish where you now see the Marina Club and that string of restaurants,” he said, pointing in the direction of the private club reserved for the wealthy to moor their boats. “We are shooed away from there,” he said.
A nearby Pakistan Air Force base and the Port Qasim Authority, controlled by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, are high security zones and security patrols prevent fishermen from entering the surrounding waters.
“The same will happen when developers come on these islands; we will be told we are trespassing,” said Shah.
The father of eight does not want his children to join his profession. “All my kids are studying,” he said with pride. “It is best they keep away from this.”
It is not the first time the islands have been eyed for development. In 2006, the government signed the multi-billion-dollar Diamond Bar City project with a Dubai-based real estate firm to develop the islands.
And in 2013, Pakistani real estate tycoon Malik Riaz signed an agreement with a US investor to build the “world’s tallest building” on the island city. Nothing materialized from either deal.
Mohammad Ali Shah, the PFF’s leader, said he was hopeful the latest development plans would also be quashed.
“We want the governments, for once and for all, to make a policy that these islands will remain their natural self,” he said.
Pakistani fishermen fear development of islands into ‘new Dubai’ could empty their nets
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Pakistani fishermen fear development of islands into ‘new Dubai’ could empty their nets
- Bundal and Dingi taken over by federal government through an overnight presidential ordinance last month, $50 billion investment planned
- Fisherfolk say they have not been consulted, are leading a protest campaign saying fishermen are “the rightful owners” of the islands off Arabian Sea coast
Tickets for Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand to go on sale from tomorrow
- Pakistan will play against New Zealand in Rawalpindi and Lahore venues from April 18-27
- Series will help prepare both sides for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies
ISLAMABAD: The tickets for Pakistan’s upcoming T20I home cricket series against New Zealand will go on sale from tomorrow, Friday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Thursday.
The five-match series is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20 and 21 and in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
“In the first phase, the pre-booking of the online tickets will start on Friday at 5pm at pcb.tcs.com.pk,” the PCB said. “The sale of physical tickets along with outlet addresses will be announced in due course.”
The PCB said tickets for the Rawalpindi leg of the matches will be available at a minimum cost of Rs500 ($1.80) and the maximum will be available for Rs7,500 ($26.98) for the VVIP Gallery. Additionally, hospitality seats will be available at a maximum amount of PKR 15,000 ($53.97) except for the first T20I where the hospitality seats will be available for PKR 12,000 ($43.17).
For the Lahore leg, ticket prices start at Rs300 ($1.08) for the general seats while the maximum ticket prices will be Rs6,000 ($21.59) for the fourth T20I while Rs7,000 ($25.19) for the fifth T20I (VVIP Gallery).
The series will be important for both sides as they gear up for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 which is scheduled to be held in June in the USA and West Indies.
Pakistan will lock horns with arch-rivals India on June 9 for a big-ticket clash at New York.
Pakistani interior minister, KP CM vow to improve coordination amid surge in attacks
- Five Chinese nationals were killed in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday in a bombing
- Interior minister, KP chief minister vow to bring perpetrators of attack to justice
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday vowed to strengthen coordination between the center and the province to improve the law-and-order situation, the KP CM’s office said, amid a surge in terror attacks in the province.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvy arrived in Peshawar to meet Gandapur on Thursday to review the province’s law and order situation two days after five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the country’s volatile northwest.
The incident took place in KP’s Shangla where a bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the vehicle of Chinese engineers and construction workers on Tuesday.
The attack occurred in an area vital to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which encompasses various mega projects crucial for Pakistan’s economy. The victims were en route to Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s largest hydropower project, when they were targeted.
“To improve the law-and-order situation in the province, both agreed to improve the coordination between law enforcement institutions on the federal and provincial levels,” a statement from the KP chief minister’s office said.
The two condemned the attack on the Chinese nationals and expressed their condolences to Beijing and the families of those who had been killed in the attack.
“The two expressed their resolve to bring all those involved in the incident to justice and put an end to terrorism,” the statement said.
Gandapur said it was his government’s top priority to ensure law and order in the province and to safeguard people’s lives.
Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday that Islamabad had enhanced the security of Chinese nationals after the attack.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said both Pakistani and Chinese governments were in contact after the tragic incident on March 26, adding they were fully committed to bringing the terrorists, along with their facilitators and abettors, to justice.
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on separatists and the breakaway Gul Bahadur faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
The TTP is a separate group, but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP denied being behind the suicide bombing in a statement Wednesday, saying: “We are in no way related to the attack on the Chinese engineers.”
Tuesday’s attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Balochistan Liberation Army separatists who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan says security of Chinese nationals enhanced after deadly attack
- Pakistan’s foreign office says the government fully understands Chinese security concerns after the attack
- It points out Pakistan has built a fence, introduced one document regime to secure its border with Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday the government has further enhanced the security of Chinese nationals only days after a deadly suicide bombing killed five of them along with their Pakistani driver in the country’s volatile northwest.
The incident took place in Shangla, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the vehicle of Chinese engineers and construction workers on Tuesday.
The attack occurred in an area vital to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which encompasses various mega projects crucial for Pakistan’s economy. The victims were en route to Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s largest hydropower project, when they were targeted.
“I can reassure you that Pakistan has further enhanced the security of Chinese nationals,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
She said both Pakistani and Chinese governments were in contact after the tragic incident on March 26, adding they were fully committed to bringing the terrorists, along with their facilitators and abettors, to justice.
“At this point, we are focusing on investigating the terror attack and ensuring that the dead bodies of the deceased are transported to their home country,” she added. “This is the first priority at this stage.”
Asked about the security concerns raised by the Chinese officials following the attack, Baloch said the Pakistani government fully understood their concerns.
“We are engaged with the Chinese officials at very senior level to discuss the arrangements for the safety of Chinese nationals and for the investigation of this particular terror incident,” she informed.
The foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to work with the Chinese authorities to ensure the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan.
“We have no doubt that the … terror attack [in Shangla] was orchestrated by the enemies of Pakistan-China friendship and together, we will resolutely act against all such forces and defeat them,” she emphasized.
In response to a question regarding Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s statement regarding the necessity for stronger border controls between Pakistan and Afghanistan, she clarified he was elaborating measures already taken by Pakistan to regulate travel between the two neighboring countries.
“Pakistan-Afghanistan border is an important border, and Pakistan has, over time, taken several measures to secure the border, including erecting a fence along the border,” she continued.
“Pakistan has also introduced one document regime under which individuals can travel to Pakistan on the basis of valid visas on their passports,” Baloch added.
Pakistan’s top court conditionally allows military courts to declare reserved judgments in May 9 cases
- Supreme Court says judgments can only be announced in cases in which people can be released before Eid Al-Fitr
- Attorney general says 20 people can be released before the Muslim religious festival is celebrated next month
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday allowed military courts to announce judgments reserved in cases against civilians linked to the May 9 violence that erupted last year after the brief detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges.
Demonstrators, identified with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, targeted government buildings and military installations, notably setting ablaze the official residence of a senior army general in Lahore.
This incident prompted a significant crackdown on PTI leaders and supporters, with the government facing allegations of arbitrary arrests and custodial torture, which it denied.
Following the May 9 events, military authorities sought to prosecute civilians involved in the assaults on its properties nationwide. However, the move was challenged, and a five-member Supreme Court bench deemed civilian trials in military courts unconstitutional in October.
The government has since appealed the decision.
The Supreme Court said during the hearing today that only the verdict in those cases should be announced in which the people on trial can be released before the Eid Al-Fitr festivities next month.
“Twenty out of 103 suspects involved in the May 9 incidents will be released before Eid,” Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan told the court. “These 20 individuals will be released following the established procedure.”
The PTI has complained of being unjustly targeted by state institutions since the downfall of its administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Khan himself remains behind bars in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi after being convicted in a number of cases in recent months.
Pakistan seeks swift implementation of Security Council’s ceasefire resolution in Gaza
- The foreign office asks Israel’s ‘backers’ to force the Netanyahu administration to end the Palestinian ‘massacre’
- It also seeks lifting of the ‘inhumane siege’ of Gaza to ensure smooth flow of humanitarian assistance to people
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday called for the swift implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip to end Israel’s relentless military campaign against the people of Palestine which has lasted for over five months.
Israel launched its campaign after a surprise attack was initiated by Hamas on Oct. 7 in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation. Since then, Israel has killed over 32,000 Gaza residents, most of them women and children, by targeting hospitals and residential neighborhoods.
The Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier this week in what was viewed as a massive legal blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration that has been widely accused of running a genocidal campaign against Palestinians.
However, Israel has continued to carry out its operations in the area.
“It has been three days since the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine,” the foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said during her weekly media briefing. “However, the Israeli war on the people of Gaza continues unabated and the Palestinian people continue to face starvation and genocide.”
“We call on the backers of Israel to urge Israel to bring an end to the massacre of the Palestinian people, lift the inhumane siege and allow humanitarian assistance in all parts of Gaza,” she continued. “The international community must redouble its efforts for a just and durable solution to the Palestine question and for the creation of a of an independent viable sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also mentioned the UN resolution at an iftar-dinner hosted by the foreign ministry to honor the members of the diplomatic community in the country, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
“I would like to reiterate Pakistan’s firm support for the people of Palestine in their just struggle for their inseparable right to self-determination and we all hope and to make our sincere efforts that this UN Security Council’s resolution is implemented in latent spirit immediately and brutality against the Palestinians must end henceforth,” he said.