Sir Creek : Media & Current Affairs : Student Collaboration

An illustration of student-teacher collaborative discussion model in the subject of Media & Current Affairs during the Fall session 2020, Students engaged in the discussion on Indo-Pak Relations, featuring Sir Creek issue.

1. PAKISTAN-INDIA Relation Sir Creek Instructor: Mr. Ali Haider Saeed Collaborator: Naimal Naeem

2. Content: Introduction. Disputes. Pak-India Claims. Economics Reason. Pak-India Viewpoint. Conclusion.

3. Introduction: The Sir Creek is a 96 km (60 mile) strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands. The creek, which opens up into the Arabian Sea, divides the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat with the Sindh province of Pakistan . The creek itself is located in the uninhabited marshlands. During the monsoon season between June and September, the creek floods its banks and envelops the low-lying salty mudflats around it. During the winter season, the area is home to flamingoes and other migratory birds.

4. Dispute : The Sir Creek area. The Green Line is the boundary as claimed by Pakistan, the red line is the boundary as claimed by India. The black line is the undisputed section . The dispute lies in the interpretation of the boundary line between Kutch and Sindh as depicted in a 1914 and 1925 map. At that time, the region was a part of Bombay Presidency of undivided India. After India's independence in 1947, Sindh became a part of Pakistan while Kutch remained a part of India.

5. PAK Claim: Pakistan lays claim to the entire creek as per paras 9 and 10 of the Bombay Government Resolution of 1914 signed between then the Government of Sindh and Rao Maharaj of Kutch . The resolution, which demarcated the boundaries between the two territories, included the creek as part of Sindh, thus setting the boundary as the eastern flank of the creek. The boundary line, known as the "Green Line“ Pakistan does not dispute the 1925 map. It maintains that the Doctrine is not applicable in this case as it only applies to bodies of water that are navigable, which the Sir Creek is supposedly not.

6. INDIA Claims: India maintains that it is an "indicative line", known as a "ribbon line“. India sticks to its position that the boundary lies mid-channel as depicted in another map drawn in 1925. India supports its stance by citing the Thalweg Doctrine in International Law. The law states that river boundaries between two states are divided by the mid-channel . India rejects the Pakistani stance by maintaining the fact that the creek is navigable in high tide, and that fishing trawlers use it to go out to sea. Several cartographic surveys conducted have upheld the Indian claim.

7. Economic Reason: Though the creek has little military value, it offers immense economic gain. Much of the region is rich in oil and gas below the sea bed, and control over the creek would have a huge bearing on the energy potential of each nation . The demarcation would also prevent the inadvertent crossing over of fishers of both nations into each other's territories . In contrast to economic reasons described by India and Pakistan, fishers of both countries get trapped in conflict and their economic rights of earning are affected . The governments of India and Pakistan regularly arrest fishers of the other nation for crossing the boundary.

8. PAK-INDIA Viewpoints: India has proposed that the maritime boundary could be demarcated first, as per the provisions of Technical Aspects of Law of Sea (TALOS ). Pakistan has staunchly refused the proposal on the grounds that the dispute should be resolved first. Pakistan has also proposed that the two sides go in for international arbitration, which India has flatly refused. India maintains that all bilateral disputes should be resolved without the intervention of third-parties.

9. Conc lusion: To conclude the issue of Sir Creek is one of the many between India and Pakistan. Though small in quantum but large in potential to cause an unlucky event leading to war. It is the responsibility of the both government to avoid any such untoward incident and that can be avoided only if the problem is erased. Its solution would be a great helping hand for the resolution of all disputes and ushering an age of peace in the region.

10. THANK YOU