Pakistan is selling Bhundar (Bundal) and Dingi Islands in Pakistan Occupied Sindh to China. As per a recent Presidential ordinance and Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA), Pakistan has constituted a body aimed at developing barren islands in the territorial waters of Sindh by China. It is clearly mentioned that this Ordinance can not be challenged in Pakistani Courts.

Pakistan Occupied Sindh in is blessed with rich coastal belt situated in the south-western part of the country. It is spread over an area of 338 kms, one of the largest areas of mangroves and the seventh largest delta in the world. There are approx 300 small and big islands located of the Sindh coastal belt. Bhundar famously known by local residents as “Bundal” while Dingi is its twin Island. These both Islands are spread over 12,000 Acres area. These twin Islands are at one hour ride from Pakistan Ocupied Karachi, Sindh, under ownership of Port Qasim Authority.

Pakistan central Government have always tried to took over the coastal belt of Sindh while as per Pakistani constitution, The federal government has no authority to control and establish cities on Sindh’s Island or any other mega projects without permission of Sindhi people or Sindh Government. Article 172 of Pakistani constitution which is about (Ownerless property) says:

Clause 1- Any property which has no rightful owner shall, if located in the province, vest in the government of that province and in every other case, in the federal government .

Clause 2 – All lands, minerals and other things of value within the continental shelf or underlying the ocean (beyond) the territorial waters of Pakistan shall vest in the federal government.

This clearly shows that The federal government action is not only against the constitution of Pakistan, but also against international conventions and agreements which provide social, economics and cultural sovereignty to indigenous people as stated in UNO charter of “UNDRIP” clause 169 states about FPIC (free, prior, informed, consent). It is a clear violations of basic human rights. A crime against historical Sindhi nation and their land that is now occupied by Pakistan.

The federal government of Pakistan had always tried to take over on the coastal belt and these twin islands of Sindh. This is not first time. In 2000 and 2006 during regime of Dictator Parvez Musharraf also such attempts were made but Sindhi people strongly condemned these attempts and projects was stopped. In 2019, Pakistani PM Imran khan visited China and finalized few deals with Chinese President Xi Jinping. One deal was about Diamer Bhasha Dam which is now part of CPEC (The people of Sindh have already rejected that project but government of Pakistan is continuously ignoring Sindhi people demands).

There was also a deal about these Islands and coastal belt of Sindh. As per the deal between Pakistan and China, China will invest for these twin islands to build mega cities like Hong Kong. These deals are still hidden and secret. The people of Pakistan Occupied Sindh are afraid that these Islands and coastal belt may already be sold to CCP (China Communist Party). Chinese presence in this region is continuously increasing. There are many Chinees companies already working in Pakistan Occupied Sindh mostly in Port Qasim Authority, Karachi stock exchange, energy sector and buying of Karachi steel mills for which the negotiations are in pipeline.

Few days earlier, the Federal Ministry for Maritime Affairs advertised the post of chairman of The Pakistan Islands Authority (PIDA), under ordinance to constitute the body aimed at developing barren islands in the territorial waters of Sindh. Sindhi people in Pakistan Occupied Sindh are also against this project because this is against our will and we have concerns that the demography of Sindh will be changed. Sindhi people will be relegated to minority.

Not only this but this mega city and so called development will deprive around a million of fishermen in Pakistan Occupied Sindh of their livelihood and they would suffer extreme poverty.

Mangroves are assets of Sindh. The federal government/Punjab have no right to destroy lives of Sindhi people and ecology of Pakistan Occupied Sindh. It should be protected because mangroves save locals from tsunamis and cyclones. These Islands are property of local Sindhi people. Pakistan/ Punjab is forcefully trying to occupy and sell lands of Sindh to China against Will of Sindhi people.

Another controversy lies in the fact that the islands are part of the Indus Delta – a protected site under the Ramsar Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory.

As per an ecologist, “All Ramsar sites across the world are wetlands of international importance for migratory birds.”

This Presidential ordinance and Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA) consists of 25 pages in which it is clearly mentioned that this Ordinance can not be challenged in Pakistani Courts. We The people of Sindh have no choice but to appeal in International Court of Justice, UNO or Civilized nations of world that take notice of these atrocities of Pakistan/Punjab against historical Sindhi Nation.

Pakistan has deprived Sindhis and Mohajirs in Pakistan Occupied Sindh of the basic amenities like drinking water. As we covered in our previous article, by constructing the Bhasha Dam, Pakistan will turn Occupied Sindh into a desert land. People are suffering with poverty and do not have money to buy even the bread. Whose purpose will the development of high rise cities on the islands serve?

Points to Ponder

When the whole world is talking about freeing the smaller nations from illegal occupation of the other nations, why the world community is not giving attention to the Illegal Occupation of Balochistan, Sindhudesh and Pashtunistan by the Islamist Radical Pakistan?

Does the people in Balochistan, Sindhudesh and Pashtunistan have no human rights? Or is it because the Pakistan is a proxy for Imperialist China and United Nations and its bodies are mere puppets of China and are afraid of taking any action against Chinese Colony of Pakistan?

How will Pakistan, which is bankrupt and is surviving on crutches of loans and support from China, will pay for these high rise cities on Islands to its master China? Isn’t it a next step in falling further in the vicious circle of debt traps of China that Pakistan has to surrender occupied islands and strategic assets to its master China?