KARACHI, Aug 8: The Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) is back to square one as the leadership crisis seems to be continued.

It is reliably learnt that the Abuzar Mariwara Group which lost the March 4 elections is pulling legal and political muscles to challenge these elections which were organized by the provincial government's registrar cooperatives.

The group has already launched its campaign by holding a protest rally on March 6 in front of Karachi Press Club, alleging that the elections were rigged by the Jamote Group "in connivance with the registrar".

The demonstrators, who were also joined by womenfolk, termed these elections controversial and demanded holding of fresh elections. They questioned the role of nazims of Keamari and Bin Qasim towns for what they called alleged interference in the FCS elections.

The protesters declared that such rallies would be held in fishermen villages and localities in support of demand for holding fresh elections and announced that a big rally would be organized at the Karachi Fish Harbour within a couple of days.

It is also learnt that the Mariwara Group has decided to contest these elections in a court of law. A source in fisheries department admits that it is clearly indicative that "all is not well in the FCS" and the leadership crisis faced by the Society after the departure of naval personnel is yet to be settled.

Following the resignation of Commodore (retd) Syed Tayyab Naqvi last year, Sardar Manzoor Ali was elected as chairman and Abuzar Mariwara as vice-chairman. However, the elections were rejected by the Jamote Group. Haji Shafi Mohammad Jamote particularly contested the modus operandi of the election process.

Later, Shafi Jamote challenged the election of vice-chairman by submitting an application with the Registrar of Cooperatives. He argued that by the virtue of his office he should have presided over the Board of Directors, especially summoned for the purpose of holding election of chairman. As a result, a controversy developed over the legitimacy of the new chairman and the vice-chairman.

An infighting erupted among the elected directors of the FCS and a war of words continued between directors led by Shafi Jamote and Manzoor Ali who put all his weight behind Abuzar Mariwara.

Both the groups traded charges of corruption and mismanagement against each other and a conflict heightened between the two groups when new appointments were made in the Society.

Due to major political changes in the provincial government, Sardar Manzoor Ali Panwar had to quit his livestock and fisheries portfolio, which paved the way for Abuzur Mariwara to take the charge as FCS acting chairman.

According to sources, the departure of Manzoor Ali has further aggravated the situation as confrontation between supporters of Mariwara and Jamote continued till the announcement was made about fresh elections of directors for the next tenure.

Just a few days prior to the elections, the Mariwara group received a great setback when Salim Deedag Baloch and Habibullah Baloch left the group. Observers say that this was the turning point in the FCS elections which had given a boost to the Jamote group and routed out the Mariwara group.

But the Mariwara group claimed that the elections were allegedly influenced by Keamari and Bin Qasim town nazims who they said were present in the election camp.

The election results were surprising to the Mariwara group because not a single director of the group returned. Even its potential candidate Ghulam Ali Mech from Baba and Bhit who had been successfully holding the post for quite some years could not be returned.

Some political observers said that the election results put the government in dilemma for electing a new chairman or vice- chairman. They argued that a clear decision on election issue was badly needed at this time and the board's meeting should be called for electing chairman and vice-chairman.

At the same time, a high-level judicial committee should be constituted to probe into the allegation of rigging levelled by the supporters of the Mariwara group, they suggested.

The confrontation among the FCS elected directors had in no way served the interest of fishermen community or its representative body.

According to observers, the FCS needs a strong leadership which could solve its administrative and financial problems. They say the time has come that both the government and the representatives of fishermen must act promptly and resolve the leadership crisis by mutual consent.