Islands ordinance comes to an end, Centre tells SHC

KARACHI: The federation informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday that the islands authority as well as concerned agreement have come to an end.

A bench of the high court was hearing a petition challenging the presidential ordinance for constituting the Pakistan Islands Development Authority.

After statement by the Additional Attorney General on behalf of the federation, the court dismissed the petition.

Earlier, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked the counsel,” What you want when the ordinance has already been lapsed?” “My problem belong to the province not the Centre. It is cleansing of the mangroves” the counsel replied.

“The court separating your matter from the islands issue,” the Justice said.

“The Attorney General made a lengthy speech still an agreement signed with the Netherlands,” the counsel said. “But after this speech the agreement has nullified,” the court said.

The AAG said that the islands authority as well as the agreement have come to an end. After the statement the court dismissed the petition.

The court separated the civil society’s petition with regard to deforestation of mangroves and summoned a reply from the government of Sindh.

The bench adjourned further hearing of the case until March 31.

In the previous hearing the Assistant Attorney General had informed the bench that the ordinance has already lapsed by January 03, which was promulgated by the federal government on September 22.

The court had summoned the Additional Attorney General to appear with a written statement in next hearing on February 17 (today).

Petitioner Shahab Osto had challenged the Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance 2020 in the high court stating that federal territory in the sea starts after 12 nautical miles and Bundal and Buddo islands are the properties of the province as they fall within the limit of 12 nautical miles.

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