Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro spoke at the Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum, assuring Sindhi fishers that government initiatives would seek to redress their grievances.

Below is an article published by The Nation :

Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro assured the fishermen that the PPP-led government had initiated various uplift projects for the fishermen localities.

He expressed these views when he was addressing a public gathering, organised by Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum PFF on the occasion of World Fisheries Day in Ibrahim Hydri on Saturday.

He said the PPP had contributed a lot to the PFF struggle when it was in the opposition, adding that now after coming to power, it would resolve the issues of fisheries folk on priority basis.

Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Hussain Bhurgari and Minister for Jails Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujrah, PPP leader Taj Hyder also attended the gathering and assured the community that the government had designed various development projects for the coastal and inland localities.

Earlier, the PFF activists demanded to resolve the issues facing the fishermen community. PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah, Saeed Baloch, Tahira Ali, zulfiqar Ali Shah of Piler, Sami memon and others also spoke on the occasion.

They said that indigenous fisher people had right on natural resources but unfortunately influential people and war lords had occupied the natural resources, depriving the community of their rights.

The gathering demanded to abolish the contract system from all fresh water bodies on permanent basis by making amendments in Fisheries Ordinance of 1980, so that fishermen may get their due rights.

They pointed out that due to the declining flow of water towards downstream kotri the Indus delta is on the verge of destruction. Sea intrusion has inundated more than 35 million acres of farm land of Thatta and Badin districts. Lush mangroves and other forests were depleted; consequently millions of fishermen living along the coastal line are forced to migrate from these areas. The public gathering demand of the government that 35 million acre feet water should be released toward down stream kotri to save the Indus Delta.