Sindh govt urged to clear historical Kun Purao Lake of encroachers

PFF, other civil rights bodies say around three villages
of fishermen affected by the illegal occupation

Expressing concerns over illegal occupation of the historic Kun Purao Lake in Sajawal district by local influential landlords, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and other civil society activists on Thursday demanded of the Sindh government to get the lake vacated and save the livelihood of hundreds of local fishermen.

Addressing a press conference jointly organised by the PFF and the Joint Action Committee, an alliance of civil society organisations gathered at the local press club in a show of solidarity with the fishermen’s campaign to reclaim the lake and have its occupation termed illegal and a gross violation of human rights.

PFF chairman Muhammad Ali Shah, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Sindh vice chairman Asad Iqbal Butt, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research’s executive director Karamat Ali and the Aurat Foundation’s resident director Mahnaz Rahman were prominent among those who spoke at the presser.

Sharing details about the lake, the PFF chairman said the lake is located in Union Council Ladiyoon, Tehsil Shahbander of district Sajawal, and is spread over around 1,000 acres of land. He said it is surrounded by three villages comprising of approximately 300 households of fishermen whose livelihood depended on fishing from the lake.

There are 1,219 water bodies across Sindh, and the Kun Purao Lake stood on number 1,150 in the list maintained by the provincial fisheries department, he said. Further, this lake stands on number 103 in the list of district Thatta’s water bodies.

The lake has historically been in use of the fishermen excluding the years of contract system, Shah said, adding, that currently the fishermen have been barred by some influential landlords from fishing in the lake.

And all this, the PFF chief said was happening despite the fishermen having been issued a license under the Sindh Fisheries (Amendment Act) and Rule 3 of Sindh Fisheries Rules, 1983. “These licenses are issued by the Thata Fisheries deputy director and the Directorate of Fisheries Sindh Inland, Hyderabad.

After PFF’s ten-year struggle to win rights for fishermen for lakes, the Sindh government abolished the contract system on fresh water bodies through amending the Sindh Fisheries Act, 1980, in 2011. “Thus, all indigenous fishermen were issued licenses to carry out fishing. But regrettably, hundreds of fishermen are being compelled to abandon their traditional means of livelihood,” Shah claimed.

He added that powerful landlords and land grabbers have been occupying the lakes illegally and forcibly stopping fishermen from earning their livelihood and threatening them of consequences to their lives.

Citing a recent incident, Shah said that goons, armed with weapons, of a politically influential landlord on January 20 threatened the fishermen.

“The fishermen not only registered complaints against them with the police higher-ups but also filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court to seek protection from them.” But the goons continue to harass the fishermen, he said.

In this regard, the PFF has organised several rallies and press conferences in various parts of the province and written to concerned authorities, including the chief minister, minister for livestock and fisheries Sindh, provincial police chief, chairperson Sindh Human Rights Commission, secretary for livestock and fisheries Sindh, DIGP Hyderabad and SSP Sajawal.

However, Shah said, that none of it had been to no avail. He said the SHRC issued notices to the concerned authorities, but till May 29, no relevant department had responded to them. 

PFF’s secretary general, Saeed Baloch, and prominent trade unionists Shaikh Majeed and Manzoor Razi were also present at the press conference.