KARACHI, Jan 31: The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission has urged Pakistani authorities to halt work on the projects being constructed on the two islands off Port Qasim saying it would directly affect the livelihood of 500,000 fishermen and almost 100,000 persons would be displaced.

The AHRC, through an e-mail, has launched a media campaign to compel the Pakistan government officials to reverse the 99-year lease contract on the twin islands, Bhudal and Bhuddo to a Dubai-based foreign company.

The AHRC maintained the affected fishermen are indigenous people who were living on the islands for centuries.

It termed the Pakistan government's action unlawful as it did not conduct an environment impact assessment as required by law, before entering the contract.

It also noted that the government did not hold any discussion for approval of the project in the Senate, the Sindh and National Assemblies before giving a lease to the company.

The AHRC in a statement said the project violates the right to adequate standard of living of the fishermen, which is guaranteed under Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Article 11(1) of ICESCR states, "The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent."

It also pointed out that although the said land is the property of the Sindh government, the federal government of Pakistan signed the MOU with the company without Sindh government’s approval, which is in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan.

It says the decision to allot the twin islands to the United Arab Emirates-based company was made by the country's top economic body, the Economic Coordination Committee of the federal cabinet in so much haste that even the Sindh government was not informed.

The AHRC has mobilised opinion across the region by getting people to write to the Pakistani law minister’s office with the demand to reverse the deal and conduct an Environment Impact Assessment immediately.