HYDERABAD, Aug 11: The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum announced on Monday that the forum would launch a province-wide movement starting from Aug 18 to protest excesses against fishermen by influential people.

The announcement came at the end of a meeting of the forum presided over by its chairman, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah in Qasimabad. The meeting also decided to stage a long march from Sukkur to Karachi.

The meeting observed that although contract system for fishing in freshwaters of the province had been abolished but for all practical purposes, the contractors had not yet given up control of the water resources.

The meeting said that the contractors in collusion with police were victimising fishermen by registering false cases against them in the absence of a clear-cut government policy.

The meeting appealed to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the prime minister, the chief minister and fisheries minister to implement government decisions on abolition of contract system.

The meeting demanded that the fishermen should be issued cards for catching fish, Chotiari Dam in Sanghar should be retrieved from the contractor and ejection of fishermen from

Gizri Karachi should be stopped forthwith.

Our Sanghar correspondent adds: Hundreds of fishermen, including women and children, held a demonstration outside the press club on Monday in protest against occupation of freshwater lakes by influential people and snatching of catch by armed men of Qasim Ali Zardari, who claimed to be a relative of Asif Ali Zardari.

The protesters blocked the Sanghar-Mirpurkhas road for several hours.

Four women fainted from heat during the blockade but they recovered quickly after getting first aid.

The protesters led by president of Fisherfolk Forum’s Sanghar chapter Abdul Rehman Mallah told journalists that after the abolition of contract system the fishermen had obtained licenses for catching fish in Chotiari Reservoir (Makhi Reservoir) and other lakes but influential people were not allowing them to catch fish. Their men snatched the catch if the fishermen caught fish in the dam, they complained.

They alleged that police were hand in glove with Qasim Ali Zardari.

DSPs Hameer Bhangwar and Atta Mohammad Dahiri later negotiated with protesters and assured them of protection

after which they dispersed peacefully.