Karachi’s famous dog islands, where hundreds of strays have found sanctuary away from culling, are under threat of being developed into an urban jungle under a new plan announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The Bundle and Bhuddo islands that lie on one side of the city have largely remained untouched, with little vegetation and almost no humans living on them. Over the years, hundreds of strays, often escaping the cull, have found refuge on the islands and are helped by local fishermen who bring food and water to them on a regular basis.

“If these dogs were living in the city they would have been shot dead by the municipal authorities,” says one animal rights activist. It is believed that local fishermen brought the dogs to the island to save them from imminent death.

Most stray dogs in Karachi are killed by special squads who offer them poisoned food or shoot them. Dogs are considered unclean so there is little resistance against this culling activity from the local population.

Last month, in a meeting between Prime Minister Khan and some leading businessmen, a consortium was formed to invest in two mega development projects — Urban Development and Bundle Island Project (UDBSP) in Karachi and Ravi RiverFront Urban Development Project (RRFUDP).

The plan is to build a housing and entertainment complex on these islands and construct a causeway to connect the city to them. Currently the only way to reach these islands is by boat.

A ray of hope has emerged in the form of the provincial Sindh government which objects to the manner in which the islands have been taken away from it. After Islamabad issued an ordinance to establish an Island Development Authority, the provincial government lodged a protest.

Sindh government spokesman Murtaza Wahab said any island in Pakistani territory comes under the domain of the provinces. “The federal government took an unconstitutional step after issuing the island ordinance,” he said and demanded the government to immediately withdraw the ordinance.

The Sindh government has said it will go to court to stop any construction taking place on the islands. But shipping minister Ali Zaidi under whose domain falls this issue has said that the government “will go ahead, no matter what.” In the meantime all the dogs can do is watch and wait.