Karachi: Fisherfolk hold demo against DHA ban

[Naveed Yaseen]

Civil society organisations, leaders of political parties and fisherfolk staged a protest at the Marina Club against Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to express solidarity with the people of old fisherfolk’s locality Machhy Mayan, Giziri.

The rally marched from Ayesha Mosque and culminated near the shoreline in Gizri Creek where the DHA had restricted fisherfolk from anchoring their boats. Condemning the DHA for violating fundamental rights of the native fisherfolk of Machi Mayan village, protestors demanded the restoration of their jetty for them to resume their livelihood activities.

The protest was organised by Dharti, an alliance of civil society organisations. The rally was led by Dharti chief Naila Ahmed of Shehri, Director PILER Karamat Ali, Muhammad Ali Shah of PFF, Ellahi Bux of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), Tahira Ali, Sharafat Ali, Saeed Baloch, Zulfiqar Shah, Majeed Motani, Mir Zulfiqar Ali and others. Carrying placards and banners, the protestors chanted slogans against the “high-handedness” of DHA. They also demanded that DHA allows the fisherfolk access to the jetty and constructs a proper pier over there.

Hundreds of DHA security personnel and policemen stopped the protestors from marching ahead.

Dharti leaders condemned the ploy of the DHA in dislodging the fisherfolk from one jetty to another and now to the fourth one at Gutter Baghicha. “This dislodging is being done with the force of power. They demanded that the government holds an inquiry into the affairs of the DHA and its scam of land grabbing through civil institutions.

Protestors demanded that the DHA should be handed over to the city government. They also deplored the brutalities of DHA officials due to which about 20 boats were broken, and fisherfolk physically tortured on their way to the shoreline.

They warned that if the DHA did not stop evicting fisherfolk and did not remove ban on catching fish, civil society and fisherfolk from across Sindh would gather at the DHA office on November 21 i.e. on International Fisherfolk’s Day and stage a sit-in.