BADIN, Jan 12: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that no one will be allowed to politicize the issue of fishing in the coastal area of the district and 600 to 700 fishermen, settled in the area, will soon get fishing rights.

He was speaking at a gathering of fishermen at Zero Point in the Ahmed Rajo area, 80 kilometres from here, on Tuesday. The chief minister, accompanied by Sindh Minister for Population Welfare Syed Ali Bux Shah and Provincial Adviser Jadam Mangrio, arrived there by helicopter to listen to the complaints of the fishermen.

The chief minister sought suggestions from fishermen but asked the representatives of the Pakistan Fisher folk Forum, Mohammad Ali Shah and Mithan Mallah, to keep quite, saying that only local fishermen were entitled to offer proposals.

The chief minister did not accept fishermen's demand of declaring the coastal zone a free fishing zone. Some fishermen suggested that contract system only for local fishermen should be adopted but most of them opposed it.

A few fishermen suggested that Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 per Hora (boat) be recovered for fishing in the waters. The chief minister said that the fishermen should form a society consisting of local fishermen and get their colony developed from its income.

He added that a prawn cleaning unit could also be established by the society. He said that till the report of a committee yet to be constituted, fisherman should remain patient and should not indulge in politics on the issue.

The chief minister announced construction of roads from Ahmed Rajo to Zero point and Behdmi to Sheikhani Gari. Meanwhile, a disorder was witnessed when a number of fishermen raised slogans against the remarks passed by the director general of Rangers against Mithan Mallah.

Mithan Mallah wanted to say something but the Rangers DG did not allow him to do so and said that he was an agent of India. Later, talking to journalists, Badin District Nazim Kamal Khan Chang criticized the attitude of the Rangers official and said that he (nazim) would draw attention of President Pervez Musharraf to highhandedness of the Rangers.

Ali Bux Shah said that the president should be informed about the matter, adding that he would apprise the president of the reality and fishermen would not be deprived of their right to fish in the district waters.