KARACHI: “It’s been 18 long months since our father was arrested at sea by the Indian coastguard,” sighs 21-year-old Haroon Rashid, the eldest of fisherman Akhtar Ali’s four children leading a difficult existence in a small two-room rented place in UC-6 of Machhar Colony.

Speaking to Dawn at the Imkaan Welfare Organisation’s field office, Haroon, who works at a seafood factory and finds it challenging to make ends meet, said a lot had changed for his family in the absence of his father.

“Suddenly I’m the family elder. I work hard all night from Maghrib till Sehri. I don’t miss a single day’s work even when I’m sick because if I do I won’t get paid for that day. I carry heavy loads of 70 to 80kg to and from containers. I do it for my mother and younger brothers and sister. My little sister is only 12 years old. I make sure she goes to school. My brothers are 17 and 15. The older of the two, Noor Bashar, left home and is living with my paternal uncle now and the other, Rizwan, here [he glanced at his brother who had accompanied him to the field office], tries to help if he can find part-time work anywhere. Work doesn’t come easily these days.

“I am unable to send my brothers to school. They are also getting older and are at a phase in life that they give me attitude. I’m also not their father so cannot control them. We are all sad and frustrated. So once when I was a little extra harsh on Noor, he just left home. I feel bad but things are out of my control. My mother feels for me, she has offered to find work cleaning fish and shrimps but I won’t allow her. She observes purdah. When my father was here, he made sure she was comfortable and at home. I won’t let that change at least,” said Haroon as his eyes pooled up though he was quick to hide his tears.

Family’s ordeal began after boat of Akhtar Ali crossed over to Indian side by accident

There were 11 other fishermen with Haroon’s father onboard the fishing boat ‘Allah Tawakal’ when it unknowingly crossed over to the Indian side. “All have families here in Machhar Colony. Some have four children, some have three or two. All are miserable. All have set aside their own dreams to work and earn,” said Haroon.

“When they were caught we found a video of them on social media. They were made to sit in a line by the Indian Coastguard who were pushing them and beating them. We have taken screenshots from the video,” said the boy bringing out coloured plastic-covered pictures of the screenshots. He pointed out his father kneeling down among the men.

“When this all happened, all the families of these fishermen were paid a visit by people from the Fishermen Cooperative Society. We were given a sack of food rations and Rs12,000 each. Then it was all over. They never returned and we were forgotten and on our own.

“Two days before my father was arrested I got Rs72,000 from a committee I used to contribute to on a monthly basis. I was planning to start my own little fish selling business from that money but it all got used up in my running from pillar to post trying to find out what happened to my father and in taking care of my family. I used to have a mobile phone at the time. But I sold it to buy water for our place.

“Our monthly rent is Rs5,000, the electricity bills amount to Rs1,500 to 2,000, water we buy from a tanker for Rs3,000. Rs4,500 is spent on a 25kg sack of rice and Rs10,000 to 15,000 goes in other groceries including vegetables and oil. We usually eat rice and chickpeas. I can’t afford much else in these times of extreme inflation,” he shared.

“I used to dream about going to school and studying hard but being the eldest son it was never on the cards for me. I could only attend a madressah when I was little. I have been working with my father from the age of 10. Sometimes I would put on one of my brothers’ school uniforms just to fantasise being a school kid, too, but … Now I’m making sure that at least my little sister gets to go to school. She attends the TCF School nearby,” he smiles.

Imkaan Welfare Organisation works for children’s rights, women’s rights, education, health, legal aid, citizenship and identification. Haroon and his brother Rizwan’s case was recently tweeted by the organisation as a part of its research findings.

Although Haroon’s parents have CNICs, many people and even children of Machhar Colony, born in Pakistan, remain stateless. Haroon himself was turned away by National Database and Registration Authority because they found irregularities in his birth documents.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2023