The federal government of Pakistan through a conspiracy with collaboration of Sindh government and City district government decided to privatize and sell the 90 km entire coastline of Karachi including islands, in the name of Water Front Development. In first phase government has planed to build multi-billion-dollar Sugar Land City on eighty four thousand acres, near the coastline of Manora to Hawks bay in the west of Karachi.

The construction of the new proposed Sugar Land City would result in poverty and hunger among million Fisherfolk historically inhabitations of coast and traditionally earning their livelihood at Karachi coast. Besides the destruction of basic and traditional source of livelihood of the poor fishing communities, it would render the entire marine ecological system terribly unsustainable. This project will destroy green turtle’s natural habitat. Hundreds of fishing grounds would be annihilated. The unemployment ratio among poor Fisherfolk will dramatically increase. Mangroves forests, which are already being rapidly destroyed, will suffer more due construction of new city. With the passage of time new and more investors will surge into the areas and will invest and earn at the cost of lives of poor people. Ironically the federal government has done contract on its own without taking into consideration.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum strongly condemns this decision of construction the new city of the Karachi coast line. Opposing this devilish plan, and is of the view that it would put colossal negative impact on the lives and livelihood of local fishing communities, that is, this project is totally anti-human and illegitimate in its essence. PFF has invariably rejected any development process which is done at the expense of live and livelihood of poor people. PFF appeals national, international, media, social, human rights and development experts to immediately intervene into the matter of sheer violation of human rights and dignity and save the lives and livelihood of the fisherfolk.

Taking into account the situation PFF has proposed to organize a consultative meeting of fisherfolk communities against the Sugar Land City on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 3:00pm at Abdul Rehman village, Hawks Bay, Karachi.

We invite you for the participation in this humanitarian event.

Thanks & Regards

Mohammad Ali Shah

Chairperson, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum

0300- 3380051