KARACHI: Fishermen perturbed over security measures
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 29: The children of fishermen are not being allowed to go on hunting trip by personnel of a security agency posted in Petty Creek near Ibrahim Haideri.
According to the villagers, the children below 18 years of age are not being permitted, which had caused resentment among the fishermen community who have decided to take up the issue with the higher authorities.
Pakistan Mahigir Tehrik chief Zubaida Brewani, said that she had received complaints from small fishermen community in Ibrahim Haideri that the government had deployed personnel of a security agency in the Petty Creek probably for checking illegal activities. She said, “We have no objection about any security measure if such action should not be source of any harassment and depriving fishermen from their livelihood.” But under the garb of this security step, she regretfully stated that the children of fishermen below the age of 18 were being stopped to hunting trips, depriving them from their livelihood.
The leader said under the present customs most of small fishermen and boat owners normally carried out their fishing activities along with their children aged 14 to 15 years. This practice had been continued for centuries as the fishermen had no other alternative means of income, she added.
She observed that the government should have discussed such a sensitive issue with elders of fishermen communities before taking any direct action. She further said that the Mahigir Tehrik had brought the matter to the notice of senior director of Fishermen Cooperative Society Haji Mohammad Yunis and urged the director to take the matter to higher authorities to find out an amicable solution to the problem.
