Sir Creek Water
Dispute: India & Pakistan
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What’s in the name
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Got its name from the British representative who negotiated the
original dispute over firewood between the local rulers
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Countries
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India & Pakistan
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Location
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96-km estuary- between India and Pakistan, cutting through where
Gujarat State and Sindh province meet
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India’s Stand
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Pakistan’s Stand
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Claims that the boundary lies mid-channel, as was depicted in a map
in 1925 and implemented with pillars placed to mark the boundary
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Claims the entire Sir Creek based on a 1914 agreement signed between
the government of Sindh and rulers of Kutch
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Inability of both the countries to agree on a definite border (fear
of losing out on a vast amount of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich with gas
and mineral deposits, and subsequent breakthroughs)
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Leads to: fishermen’s misery + terrorist designs + global drug
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Sir Creek issue is defying solution because of the deep rooted syndrome
of lack of trust in Pakistan. Unless the element of trust is restored through
Pakistani actions, attitudes and utterances, any real and meaningful progress
on this, as well as other issues like Siachen, looks somewhat remote.
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The Indo-Pakistan international border starts from the point where
coming from the Arabian Sea Sir Creek joins the land mass
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This area had not been demarcated as it had not been properly surveyed
due to its being somewhat desolate and inhospitable
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Taking advantage of a 1914 Bombay Government Resolution that sought to
demarcate Sir Creek between Sindh and Kutch divisions of the Bombay state as an
internal administrative measure, Pakistan began to lay claim over the entire
Creek; ignoring that both Sindh and Kutch have become parts of two sovereign
states, India and Pakistan, and thus their maritime boundary now needed to be
settled as per international norms, mainly the Thalweg Doctrine, which follows
the meridian principle.
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In fact, another resolution of the erstwhile Bombay Government adopted
in 1925 did install mid-channel pillars in Sir Creek. Here, Pakistan does not
agree with India since an acceptance of these provisions would lead to
redrawing of the maritime boundary in the area, re-delineation of the Exclusive
Economic Zone and other fishing areas in the Arabian Sea
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Problems with Sir Creek
issue
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Fishermen issue
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Fishermen cross boundaries in hope of a great catch; getting caught
themselves (boats and material confiscated under the premise of illegal
intrusionthough there is no cognisable territorial and maritime boundary
delimitation in the area)
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Deprived of their fundamental human rights + denied consular
assistance; many are allegedly tortured and languish in jails while being
subjected to horrible living conditions and without any meaningful access to
judicial process. Some prisoners go missing and may even be presumed victims
of custodial killings
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1,530 Indian fishermen have been released in the past five years,
while India has freed 380 Pakistanis
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Terrorists
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Fall prey to terrorist designs- When 10 terrorists from the
Lashkar-e-Taiba left in a Pakistani boat for Mumbai; they captured an Indian
fishing vessel, Kuber, off Sir Creek, and used it to attack Mumbai
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Drug mafia
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Transaction business by the cartels in the disputed water
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They are beyond the reach of both Indian and Pakistani agencies and
thus, it becomes easier for them to trade drugs their way (in terms of
quantity and frequency)
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