Losing hope: Gizri fishermen resume struggle against DHA

The housing authority allegedly snatched their routes to traditional jetties.

KARACHI:

After a four-year-long wait, the fishermen of Gizri Creek have resumed their struggle against the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) for allegedly snatching their source of income by closing their routes to traditional jetties that they were using since the British era.

To take up the issue with the DHA, the fishermen have joined hands with the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and the civil society and constituted a joint action committee called Gizri Fisherfolk Solidarity Committee, which organised a rally on Friday at the fishermen colony on main Gizri. The committee members visited Gizri Creek, where fishermen used to anchor their boats.

PFF chairperson Mohammad Ali Shah said that they will hold a sit-in outside the DHA office if the fishermen were not given their rights. “If DHA doesn’t address the queries and demands of the Gizri fishermen, then the entire community will block the Gizri flyover,” he said. These fishermen are the indigenous people of the city and are, therefore, the real owners of the city, said Shah, adding that no one will be allowed to hold them as prisoners anymore.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Khurram Sher Zaman promised to take up the issue at the assembly. “I will try to get the support of other parties to resolve this issue in a democratic way,” he promised at Friday’s rally. “But if I fail to get your rights secured in the House, I will join your sit-in.”

Losing livelihood

In between the bungalows on main Gizri, there live around 200 fishermen families who earn their livelihood from fishing at the Gizri Creek - something they have been doing before the creation of Pakistan.

Initially, these fishermen were living on the stretch of land that has now been converted into Creek Avenue. “Before the birth of DHA, we used to anchor our boats in the water along the Creek road,” recalled Muhammad Hussain, a 65-year-old fisherman. The area was surrounded by water, sand and mangrove forests and these fishermen used to walk there all the way from their homes in Gizri Colony.

The fishermen moved further along the creek when the Pakistan Oil Refinery pipeline was laid down. “By that time, we had sailing boats that could not pass under the oil pipeline,” he explained. So they shifted to the area where the Marina Club was later built.

“After some time, we had to take our jetty further down as the DHA started harassing us,” claimed the fisherman, recalling how they were then forced to relocate to the land where the DHA Golf Club was established later. “At our last jetty, DHA built its Gutter Baghicha Park and completely banned the entrance of the Gizri fishermen from the creek.”

In December 2008, the DHA administrator promised to build a separate jetty that will connect Creek Avenue to the mangrove island and provide a land route for them to transport their catch to the market. Since then, the fishermen are waiting.

In these four years, a number of fishermen of this area have stopped catching fish while some have relocated to Ibrahim Hyderi fish harbour. “Our lives depend on fishing and Ibrahim Hyderi is quite far and expensive for us,” Hussain admitted. “We appeal to the DHA to give us back our place and build us a jetty at Gizri Creek where they had promised.”

Meanwhile, a DHA spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. “The issue is an old one and I cannot speak on it until we hold meetings with the fishermen’s representatives and figure it out,” he said. “DHA will never try to snatch anyone’s rights or try to destroy anyone’s source of income.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.