By Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti
Sindh province is on protest against promulgation of presidential ordinance on islands and demanding immediate withdrawal of the ordinance and this is the issue on which the whole Sindhi nation seems on one page. Sindh government also made it clear that it had not issued any no-objection certificate the federal government would not have the temerity to issue this ordinance. On social media people of Sindh from all walks of life show their anger and keep posts that they would not allow handover of their land to “outsiders” and announced struggle would be launched for protecting natural resources of Sindh
People of Sindh consider this ordinance “illegal” and are of the opinion that would never hand over their land to the centre ad that federal government had no ethical and legal right to “occupy” the islands. With this move of the PTI led central government has lost its popularity in the province which it gained in the general election through its fascinating slogan of ‘Tabdeeli’
On the other hand The Sindh Assembly has also passed a resolution against the ordinance on Dangi and Bhandar Islands by a majority vote. The resolution was also supported by Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Tehreek-e-Libek (TLP) and PTI member Shehryar Shar.
According to the resolution, the ordinance is against the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 which was published in the Official Gazette on September 2, 2020. It is a clear violation of Article 97 and is tantamount to illegal occupation of Bundle and Buddo Islands.
The text states that the islands and coastal areas belong to the province under Article 172 of the Constitution. The federal government sought unconstitutional and illegal occupation of the islands through ordinances. The people of Sindh will not allow the federal government to take any illegal or unconstitutional action.
The resolution said that the provincial government of Sindh would not allow the federal government to occupy the coasts and islands of Sindh without permission.
Under the resolution, any attempt by the federation to occupy the islands by force is illegal and contradictory under Articles 1, 97, 172 and 239 (4) of the Constitution.
The Sindh Assembly passed the resolution calling on the federal government to immediately withdraw the island ordinance and end the unrest in Sindh.