Issues on the sea between the country’s two coastal provinces – Sindh and Balochistan seem no solution insight at least for now, as fishermen of Karachi continue to suffer financial loss close to Iranian waters.
A disturbed boat owner – Daraz Khan unfolded the ordeal he still continues to undergo at the hands of Balochistan fisheries officials. His boat – Al-Madina, sailed off Karachi coast nearly three weeks ago for a long-trip deep inside Balochistan waters, but could not return to moorage until now.
“Balochistan officials captured Al-Madina at gunpoint and towed away to the Jewni coast on charges of violating the provincial sea laws,” a senior Director of Fishermen Cooperative Society – Haji Khan Mir Khan told Business Recorder. He was busy in making efforts to retrieve the seized boats from the Balochistan fisheries department, he said. “The Balochistan officials have fined the boat of Rs 1 million and confiscated the seafood catch which is roughly of Rs 2.5 million,” the director said.
The ill-fate boat, he said, was en route Karachi coast on Jewni seawater, when it was seized. The boat owner is now in deep financial chaos, he maintained. Khan Mir serves as one of the senior Board of Directors of FCS recalled the tension between both provinces is deep rooted since decades. However, he said, during the period of Navy in 1999, an attempt was made to normalise the relations.
“Efforts met immediate but not durable success that lasted for nearly six months through exchange programme of officials by both provinces fisheries,” he added. In the recent past, there have a number of violent attacks, which Karachi fishermen suffered by Balochistan levies, as a result a seafarer was killed and many others injured on boat, near Balochistan waters.
