Fishermen Cooperative Society still without elected board

More than six weeks have passed since the elections of the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), yet the elected Board of Directors has not been constituted. As a result, administrative affairs continue to be managed by unelected officials.

The long-delayed elections, held on April 9 after a gap of five years, resulted in a sweeping victory for the Fishermen's Alliance Panel (Mahigeer Itehad Panel). However, despite the mandate, no official notification has been issued to formalise the new board.

Muhammad Yousuf, who was elected as a director on the victorious panel, told The Express Tribune that the last FCS elections were conducted on February 24, 2017.

"The next elections were due in March 2020, but the Sindh government-appointed administration repeatedly delayed the process using various pretexts," he said. "The matter was eventually taken to court, and following the Sindh High Court's directive, elections were finally held on April 9."

However, Yousuf added that the newly elected board remains in limbo due to the absence of a formal notification by the Sindh Cooperatives Department.

The delay comes as fishing operations at sea are suspended for two months — June and July — due to the annual fishing ban. This seasonal closure has reduced business activity at the Karachi Fish Harbour, fueling speculation among industry stakeholders that the Sindh Cooperatives Department may be intentionally prolonging administrative control during this dormant period.

Currently, Deputy Registrar Naveed Abbasi of the Sindh Cooperatives Department continues to oversee the FCS as its administrator. Under his administration, a fish market hall was recently leased to a private party, which reportedly carried out unauthorised construction on the premises.

The Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) intervened, demolishing the illegally erected wall the same night. According to KFHA officials, the construction took place in a designated "red zone" area where any form of building is strictly prohibited. A similar attempt to encroach on the same site was previously reported in November 2024 but was also thwarted by harbor authorities.

Repeated attempts by The Express Tribune to contact Naveed Abbasi for comment, including phone calls and WhatsApp messages, went unanswered. Concerns are growing among the fishing community over the continued absence of an elected board and the opacity surrounding key administrative decisions. Many see it as a violation of democratic and cooperative principles within one of Karachi's most vital industries.