Fishermen families rally for freedom

Families of fishermen languishing in Indian jails hold a rally on Monday to demand their release.

KARACHI: Families of fishermen languishing in Indian jails held a rally on Monday to demand their release. Hundreds of people marched from the Sindh Assembly building to the Karachi Press Club.

Protesters included women and children from Thatta and Karachi’s coastal villages. Several members of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), an NGO working for the rights of fishermen in Pakistan, also took part in the rally.

Their main demand was that the Indian authorities should hand over the body of a 22-year old Pakistani fisherman, Ibrahim, son of Ahmed Mallah, belonging to a village in Ketti Bunder, Thatta district. Ibrahim died in jail in India around 15 days ago, just before he was to be released.

His family, who had just a while ago been brimming with excitement at his prospective return, are now anxious to perform his last rites. They want Ibrahim’s body to be handed over to them so that they can fulfill burial rituals according to their own tradition.

Ibrahim’s mother, Mai Karima, his wife Ayesha and his daughter were among the participants of the rally.

Ibrahim was caught along with six other fishermen on April 5, 2010 by the Indian authorities for allegedly crossing over into Indian territory while fishing in the Arabian sea. He was locked up in the joint interrogation cell (JIC) with others, who included two of his cousins. The cause of his death could not be determined but it is possible that he was already quite ill.

The protesters were met by Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Mohammed Amin Mengal outside the Sindh Assembly building. Mengal assured them they would be able to meet with the chief minister within three days and they could discuss their issues with him during that meeting. The protest ended peacefully at the press club.

Earlier, the Pakistan government acted upon the directives issued by the Supreme Court and released 442 Indian fishermen. Civil society organisations including the PFF and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the release of Indian fishermen. The Indian government responded in kind and released 31 Pakistani fishermen from their jails.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2010.