A large number of members of the fisherfolk community hailing from different areas of the Karachi coast staged a rally on Tuesday to condemn the murderous attack on Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) activists of Kakapir village.
The rally, led by PFF General Secretary Saeed Baloch, Majeed Motani, Tahira Ali and others, started from Governor’s House and culminated outside the Karachi Press Club, where the community leaders demanded that the government should design a comprehensive plan of action to safeguard mangroves forests in the light of UN General Assembly decision.
They said land mafia people have the backing of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party legislators and they are involved in the removing of mangroves forests, thereby violating the international commitment to involve communities and volunteers to manage forests.
They said that this is happening even though the UN General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Recognising that forests and sustainable forest management can contribute significantly to sustainable development, poverty eradication and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, the UN had urged the world governments to ensure forests conservation.
There were large tracks of mangroves forests along the 129-km long Karachi coast, which have been depleted in the name of urban development.
The remaining portions of mangroves located in Keamari and Bin Qasim Towns are under threat of eradication so that the land could be used for commercial purposes.
