08 November 2004	Monday	24 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: The People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and other opposition parties have taken several parliamentary actions to highlight the excesses against the fishermen of Badin and other towns of Sindh.

According to a statement issued by the PPP media cell, a call attention notice has been moved in the Senate to "draw attention to a matter of sufficient public importance.

"The fishermen of Badin are facing great problems because some law-enforcement agencies have secured fishing contracts for themselves and dispossessed the local fishermen of their traditional source of living," said the call attention notice moved by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar, Asfandyar Wali of the ANP and Dr Said Khan of the MMA.

Besides, a resolution signed by Senators Asfadyar Wali, Dr Said Khan, Enver Baig and Farhatullah Babar says: "This House expresses deep concern over the plight of the fishermen in Badin and other districts of Sindh and calls for immediate steps to restore their fishing rights.

"Further, it calls for an inquiry into the allegations of excesses against fishermen by the Rangers and to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against the fishermen and their families."

Senators Safdar Abbasi, Raza Rabbani and Farhatullah Babar of the PPP, Senator Asfandyar Wali of the ANP and Dr Said Khan of the MMA have also moved a motion, which says: "This House may discuss the problems of the fishermen in Badin and other districts of Sindh".

The statement said on Friday last, the PPP members of the Sindh Assembly requisitioned a session of the house to take up the issues of the fishermen.

Meanwhile, PPP spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement has denounced the continued detention of fishermen in Badin and demanded withdrawal of cases against them.

He recalled that in the mid nineties the Sindh government had decided that the Rangers would stop fishing in Badin after March 31, 1996.

"The PPP wants to know why that decision has not been implemented, who has been blocking its implementation, and calls for action against those blocking it."

The party also demands an end to the contract system enforced on the fishing communities and a judicial inquiry into allegations of excesses against the fishermen by the law-enforcement agencies, he said.

He said the security of sea border was the responsibility of the Marine forces and the Rangers had no right to fish in the areas.

He said fishing was a provincial subject and a federal agency like the Rangers giving fishing contracts amounted to violating provincial autonomy.

"Such wanton disregard for provincial rights and authority will only exacerbate the provincial disharmony," said the spokesman.