Articles of the year 2021

How did a ship enter Pakistani waters carrying toxic cargo contaminated with mercury, a highly dangerous toxic chemical that can pollute the ocean despite warning from Interpol. Bangladesh and India turned the ship away. How did maritime affairs allow the ship to be beached in the sea at Gadani?

This will cause very serious danger and threat to the coast line and a threat to karachi. Why is this not investigated? This is a threat to the Government of Imran Khan. An urgent public investigation should be done and the minister responsible should be answerable. Karachi is the city of 20 million people who live only 10 miles downstream and downwind from the Gadani.

The seriousness of the matter can be judged from the fact that Bangladesh and India refused the entrance of the ship bearing this harmful chemical into their waters. It is inconceivable that Zardari was not a part of the permission given and the price taken for this crime against the people of Sindh. The minister of maritime affairs cannot deny that these Interpol messages were not received by him or not acted upon. The lives of 20 million Karachites have been put at risk and no committee or investigation is necessary. The ship is there photographed by Dawn, the premiere English newspaper that has published pictures on the front page. Prime Minister this is under your watch. The minister is your special appointee. Immediate and more than strict punishments should be meted out to those people responsible by virtue of their positions in that ministry.

The responsibility goes with the positions. Prime Minister, members of your cabinet cannot absolve themselves of the negligence that is so obvious and has created such a dangerous threat to the people of karachi. The minister should not be allowed to leave the country so that the people know that the responsibility has been fixed and action taken by Prime Minister regardless of the fact that the minister is a member of PTI. This alone should compound the severity of the crime. The Prime Minister has said repeatedly that he will punish those found guilty especially those from his own party.

Karachi has every reason to pursue the prosecution of this minister. The public hopes that we will make an example of such a serious crime. The sea around Karachi provides livelihood and living for 20 million people. Most of whom, believed in the honesty and protection, Imran Khan would give to his followers in Karachi. This minister must not escape unpunished. His name must be put on the ECL. The people of Karachi would like to see action taken by PM Imran Khan.

If the Dawn reports on Interpol warnings are incorrect then action against Dawn should be taken. This can threaten the government of Imran Khan himself. Nawaz Sharif and Zardari cannot do the damage that the single action by the minister of maritime affairs has allowed. The loss to the citizen of Karachi cannot be calculated nor explained away.