HYDERABAD, Nov 21: Fishermen, including women, took out a big rally here on Friday to mark World Fishermen Day and demanded of the government to protect their rights that are being denied to them.

They demanded abandonment of the Right Bank Outfall Drain project and abolition of contract and licence systems for fishing.

The rally began from the Sindh University old campus roundabout and culminated outside the local press club. Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo, Sindh United Party’s Dr Dodo Maheri, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum vice-chairman Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, Sindh Water Committee secretary Nazeer Memon and others spoke on the occasion. A tableau was presented during the rally and fishermen sang songs to mark the event.

Mr Palijo said that fishermen were creator of civilisation and if their demands were not met, entire Sindh would support them to force the government to give them their due rights. He said that Sindh had awakened and they would hold oppressors responsible.

He said that those nazims who should have been held accountable for land grabbing had become allies of the government. He alleged that 2.5 million acres of land had been grabbed in Sindh and demanded an investigation into the matter.

Dr Maheri said that the history of fishermen was as old as that of man. He said that fishermen’s lakes, rivers and sea had been occupied by vested interests.

He said that effluent of sugar industry of Badin was disposed of in a saline water drain which subsequently found it way into sea with the result that fish breeding was badly affected.

Mr Mirani said that contract system was still in existence and was taking heavy toll of fishermen financially. He said that the Sindh Assembly had not amended the relevant ordinance.

He said that unfortunately the very people who represented the previous regime were present in the present government.

He said that if fishermen were not given their due rights, they would besiege ministers.

Mr Memon lashed out at those who had occupied lakes and said that the occupation badly affected fishermen’s livelihood. He said that today River Indus had almost no water flow and the situation was forcing local fishermen to wander in other provinces.

He said that the government should give the fishermen their due rights and put an end to unrest among them.