KARACHI, Feb 10: Members of the fishermen’s community including women and children took out a rally on Tuesday to protest against the arrest of their fishermen by the Indian authorities.

Participants of the rally, organised by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, gathered outside the Sindh Assembly in the afternoon and marched towards the Karachi Press Club where they staged a sit-in to press the government for the early release of the fishermen kept in Indian jails.

The rally, led by PFF chairman Mohammad Ali Shah, General Secretary Saeed Baloch, Karachi Committee President Majeed Motani and Tahira Ali, was attended by the relatives of arrested fishermen including women and children hailing from coastal villages of Karachi, Keti Bandar, Kharo Chhan, Shah Bandar, Jati and Thatta.

Most of the protesters had travelled from the small villages along the coastal belt of Thatta and Karachi to attend the protest rally.

Carrying banners and placards, the children and women chanted slogans for the release of their relatives, who had been arrested by India coastal authorities in Korangi Creek and Kajar Creek, and demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari ensure the release of the fishermen from Indian captivity.

Women participants of the rally told reporters that as the heads of their families were in Indian jails, they had no breadwinners left.

They urged Pakistan and Indian governments to release fishermen who were jailed in Indian and Pakistani prisons.

PFF chairman Muhammad Ali Shah spoke at the protest rally and termed the arrest of Pakistani fishermen a violation of their human rights. He asked both the governments to follow international law and stop arresting fishermen.

He demanded that both countries release the arrested fishermen from their jails on humanitarian grounds.

He expressed concern over the constant arrest of the fishermen and said that it had forced their families to face starvation besides seriously affecting the education of the fishermen’s children.

The PFF leader urged the government to resolve the lingering issue of Sir Creek besides releasing the arrested fishermen.

Other PFF leaders also demanded of the Pakistani government to ensure the presence of security forces in Pakistani waters so that fishermen could be stopped from straying into Indian waters.—Agencies