Fishermen refuse to sail to protest killing of two leaders
May 09, 2011
Karachi
Protesting the recent killing of two leaders of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), Abdul Ghani and Haji Abu Baka, a large number of fishermen in Sindh and Balochistan observed black day on Sunday.
Many protesters refused to sail out to sea and anchoring their boats at their respective village jetties scattered along Karachi’s 129 km coastline, concentrated mostly in areas like Ibrahim Hydri, Rehri, Hawks bay and Karachi Fish Harbour.
According to reports, a large number of people who fish in the water bodies of Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Qambar, Sukkur, Kandhkot and other areas were joined by civil society leaders in their denunciation of the incident. They also demanded the protection of natural habitats like mangrove forests.
In Gwadar, a large number of fishermen staged a protest rally to express solidarity with their Karachi counterparts.
Hundreds of fishermen from different coastal villages attended the soem of the deceased PFF leaders, who were murdered last Friday in their Keamari Town Village, Kakapir, for campaigning against the land mafia.
PFF General Secretary Saeed Baloch accused the police of being reluctant to arrest the criminals involved in the killings, despite the fact that law enforcers were aware of the threat faced by those who stood up against the land mafia.
“We have received information that some armed people were seen wandering in the area last night in search of PFF activists, and we conveyed this to government authorities as well as international human rights activists and asked them to look into the matter on a priority basis,” Baloch said.
This threat is not limited to fishermen only, as it is also an environmental issue. The land mafia is jeopardising precious Mangrove forests that not only provide breading grounds for fish, but also hold immense aesthetic value, he stressed.
PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah said that the brave leaders were killed because they were trying to protect the mangrove forests along Karachi’s coast. He added that influential locals enjoyed the support of the land mafia and government functionaries occupied a wide area of beaches for commercial purposes.
Shah said that despite the fact that they had informed authorities about the intentions of the land mafia, who were trying to reclaim coastal land, law enforcers failed to take action; and the two leaders ultimately paid the heavy price of this negligence.
He demanded that law enforcers protect natural habitats like the mangroves because they provide cover against natural disasters. He requested citizens to support fisherman in their protest, as land grabbers were increasing Karachi’s vulnerable to face disasters like cyclones and tsunamis.
Protesting the recent killing of two leaders of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), Abdul Ghani and Haji Abu Baka, a large number of fishermen in Sindh and Balochistan observed black day on Sunday.
Many protesters refused to sail out to sea and anchoring their boats at their respective village jetties scattered along Karachi’s 129 km coastline, concentrated mostly in areas like Ibrahim Hydri, Rehri, Hawks bay and Karachi Fish Harbour.
According to reports, a large number of people who fish in the water bodies of Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Qambar, Sukkur, Kandhkot and other areas were joined by civil society leaders in their denunciation of the incident. They also demanded the protection of natural habitats like mangrove forests.
In Gwadar, a large number of fishermen staged a protest rally to express solidarity with their Karachi counterparts.
Hundreds of fishermen from different coastal villages attended the soem of the deceased PFF leaders, who were murdered last Friday in their Keamari Town Village, Kakapir, for campaigning against the land mafia.
PFF General Secretary Saeed Baloch accused the police of being reluctant to arrest the criminals involved in the killings, despite the fact that law enforcers were aware of the threat faced by those who stood up against the land mafia.
“We have received information that some armed people were seen wandering in the area last night in search of PFF activists, and we conveyed this to government authorities as well as international human rights activists and asked them to look into the matter on a priority basis,” Baloch said.
This threat is not limited to fishermen only, as it is also an environmental issue. The land mafia is jeopardising precious Mangrove forests that not only provide breading grounds for fish, but also hold immense aesthetic value, he stressed.
PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah said that the brave leaders were killed because they were trying to protect the mangrove forests along Karachi’s coast. He added that influential locals enjoyed the support of the land mafia and government functionaries occupied a wide area of beaches for commercial purposes.
Shah said that despite the fact that they had informed authorities about the intentions of the land mafia, who were trying to reclaim coastal land, law enforcers failed to take action; and the two leaders ultimately paid the heavy price of this negligence.
He demanded that law enforcers protect natural habitats like the mangroves because they provide cover against natural disasters. He requested citizens to support fisherman in their protest, as land grabbers were increasing Karachi’s vulnerable to face disasters like cyclones and tsunamis.
