Fishermen block Karachi Port

Hundreds of fishermen took out a boat rally blocking the Karachi Port on Sunday for over six-hour against what they called was manhandling by the personnel of security agencies.

Fishermen along with their families on board their fishing vessels were chanting slogans against the alleged misconduct of the personnel security agencies in the sea.

The protest demonstration started at 8 am at Keamari jetty and continued till 2 pm, blocking all the routine work of the port for hours. The blockade ended and the fishermen dispersed peacefully on official assurance of the resolution of the issues faced by the fishermen.

The officials from Karachi Port Trust held talks with the protesting fisherman assuring them that their issues will be resolved. The talks were delayed till Monday as the protestors demanded the presence of Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi. It was learnt that Zaidi will join the talks on Monday.

Read Sindh's centuries-old boat village faces dual threat

The indigenous fishermen from Baba and Bhitt islands, Baldia Town, Khada Market, Keamari, Ibrahim Haidery, Kaka Pir chugged into the harbour with their fishing boats and demanded the government to address their issues.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, they said that on late Friday night some of the fishermen were compelled not to go into the sea for fishing. “It is not the first time we are being insulted and manhandled,” said Sharjeel Noor Muhammad. “Enough is enough. There is limit to tolerate such kind of attitude,” he said.

Sharing the details of the protest, Muhammad said that despite having legal fishing permits, the fishermen have been mistreated by officials of different security agencies deployed in the sea. “We are not terrorists or foreigners but are being treated like them,” he said.

Another fisherman, Ibrahim, said that most of the time they were tortured and abused. “The security officials humiliate a father in front of a son. We are indigenous people of this land. Do you think we could hatch a conspiracy or get involved in anything against the country,” he said.

This is the second massive protest of the fishermen that had blocked the port. The first was staged in 1996. “Every fisherman is united against such attitude of our security agencies,” a fisherman Abdul Karim said.

“The protest will be expanded, if our all demands and issues are not met,” Karim said.

Pakistan Peoples Patry’s (PPP) MPA Shazia Karim Sanghar claimed that all the fishermen in Sindh’s coastal belt were supporters of the PPP. “This is the reason they are being targeted,” she said. She warned that the fishermen will not be left alone to face such kind of inhuman attitude. “We are with them and demand the federal government to change its policies,” she urged.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2021.