SANGHAR, Aug 19: Speakers at an all parties’ conference have said that fishing in fresh water lakes is the right of fishermen and demand early release of arrested fishermen.

The conference was organised by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum here on Tuesday.

The speakers, including representatives of the PPP, PML-N, Awami Tehrik, PPP-SB, Sindhi Adabi Sangat and National Worker’s Party alleged that Sanghar DPO Altaf Laghari had become a tool in the hands of a mafia who had occupied the Chotiyari reservoir.

They said that a man named Qasim Zardari who claimed to be a close relative of an influential person had deployed dozens of armed men in connivance with police in the area and had established checkposts to control the fishing area and created a curfew like situation in Chotiyari. They said dozens of fishermen were arrested to prevent them from fishing in sweet water lakes.

Gul Junejo and Islam Qureshi of the People’s Party said they had written a letter to Mr Asif Ali Zardari about what they called illegal acts of Qasim Zardari. They demanded immediate release of arrested fishermen.