Marine and environmental pollution, over-fishing by foreign deep sea trawlers, contract employment system in fishing and destruction of Indus delta due to reduced flows in the river are some of the main problems faced by fishermen in Sindh that impelled me to do something for fishermen. We started in 1992 by organising social welfare for fishermen in Ibrahim Haidry, the largest fishermen’s community along Karachi coast. 

Later, we formed the All Pakistan Fisherfolk Federation, which is an alliance of the fishermen’s community based organisations.

We also joined the Asian Cultural Forum on Development. In 1997, we were invited by the World Forum for Fisherpeople in India. The World Forum gave importance to Pakistani fishermen and we were asked to join the Forum’s Asia body. In 2015, I was elected general secretary of the Forum.

In 1998 we turned the All Pakistan Fisherfolk Federation into Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, mainly because we wanted it to be a membership-based organisation. Today it is the largest membership organisation of workers in Pakistan. The PFF initially made modest efforts for the rights of fishermen of Karachi coast. It has since then extended its work to include fishermen of sweet water bodies.

We formed the All Pakistan Fisherfolk Federation, which is an alliance of the fishermen’s community based organisations. We also joined the Asian Cultural Forum on Development. In 1997, we were invited by the World Forum for Fisherpeople in India. 

Fishermen have long been treated like untouchables and faced social exclusion and discrimination. Many fishermen neighbourhoods still lack safe water supply, sewerage, schools and healthcare. As definition of workers in labour laws did not include fishermen they were deprived of social security and old age benefits available to the industrial and commercial workers. Following our struggle against the unfair contract employment in fisheries the Provincial Assembly of Sindh passed a law in 2011 for its abolition. Fishermen are now issued licences for fishing.

In 2004, we started our historic struggle against Rangers’ control over fishing in Badin district. The campaign was mostly led by fishermen themselves. My wife, the late Tahira Shah, was at the forefront of the movement and faced the wrath of the paramilitary forces. Many fisher people faced arrests and false cases were registered against them. In the end, the then Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf ordered Rangers to withdraw from lakes and fishing areas. I was also arrested during our struggle against contract system in fisheries. Some of my colleagues and I were the first non-political activists to be jailed under the notorious Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.

After establishing PFF units across Sindh, we expanded to the coastal belt of Balochistan till Gwadar. Later, fishermen in southern Punjab also joined us. The PFF has made the plight of Indus delta, which was earlier considered an environmental issue, a public issue.

Our struggle against destruction of mangroves and issuance of licences to deep sea fishing trawlers continues.

The writer is the chairman of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum