GDA submits resolution on islands' handover in Sindh Assembly

KARACHI: Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Tuesday submitted a resolution in Sindh Assembly against handing over of two islands of Sindh to the federal government, ARY News reported.

GDA members of the assembly, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, Razzaq Rahimoon, Rafique Banbhan and Arif Jatoi submitted the resolution in the assembly’s secretariat.

The GDA have reservations over the presidential ordinance for establishing the Pakistan Islands Development Authority, according to the text of the resolution.

According to the resolution, handing over islands to a federal authority was against the aspirations of the people of Sindh.

“An NoC issued by the government of Sindh and approved by the provincial cabinet is a question mark over the government,” GDA resolution read.

The resolution also demanded of the federal government to take immediately back the presidential ordinance.

Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party had raised the islands ordinance issue in Senate and submitted a resolution against it in the secretariat of the upper house.

PPP Senator Sassui Palijo submitted the resolution in Senate Secretariat. “We reject the ordinance on islands,” the resolution said.

The PPP resolution was also signed by the members of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M).

The Sindh government had refused to hold talks with the federal government over the matter of Islands ownership until revoking of Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance 2020.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to hold talks with the PPP’s Sindh government over the matter after the province’s reservations.

On August 30, the president had promulgated the ordinance for establishing the Pakistan Islands Development Authority for the “development and management of islands in internal and territorial waters of Pakistan.”

However, the Sindh government withdrew its July 6, 2020 letter in which the Land Utilization Department had consented to the federal government to take custody of both islands.