KARACHI, March 16: The representatives of various fishermen associations have regretted that fishing industry had not been granted relief in agricultural loans by banks despite the quashment policy announced by the government.

In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, the representatives of fishermen and trawler owners noted with concern that agriculture bank was not pursuing the quashment policy with regard to the mark-up/interest on its loans.

The President of Sea and Fresh Water Food Mole-holders Association, Baboo Mohammad Ismail, and the President of the Sindh Trawler Owners and Fishermen Association, Haji Khan Mir Niazi, recalled that the Prime Minister had recently made a public announcement that "mark-up/interest on Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTB) loans shall be quashed if the principal amount of the loan is paid by the borrowers."

However, they regretted, the ZTB authorities had segregated the loan taken from other concerns, despite the fact that these loans had been accepted, included and treated as agricultural loans and credit facilities extended on similar terms by the concerned bank.

They argued that fishing industry was controlled and managed by the ministry of agriculture both at the federal and provincial levels. They maintained that trawler owners, fishermen and mole-holders were regarded as agriculturists by the government.

They deplored that the ZTB authorities were also not returning mortgage documents to those who had already repaid the principal amount of their loans in full.

They pointed out that the matter of remission in mark-up, though recommended by the bank's concerned branches, had also been kept pending by the higher authorities.