Balochistan fisheries officials kidnapping: alleged scuffle between fishermen, officials may have far-reaching effect

A fresh face-off between Karachi's fishermen and Balochistan shore personnel on the sea near Iran border in the seafood rich zone is likely to pave the way towards what it seems another chaotic situation, which might evoke a strong reaction from neighbouring provincial government against Sindh seafarers.
The implication of a fresh incident could also lead to a consideration to introduce stringent guidelines for entry of all fishing boats into Balochistan waters, sources said on Tuesday. They said that Karachi's fishermen and officials of Balochistan Fisheries Department (BFD) scuffled with each other in the midst of the sea near Iran coast last Sunday.
"The incident left at least six fishermen injured due to gunfire in Balochistan waters off Jiwani coast near Iran navigational border," sources said. However, BFD claimed that the fishermen, while returning after the incident, had abducted three of its officials, and an FIR was lodged against the boat owner, Muhammad Akbar.
But, Akbar denied that there had been any abduction, and said: "The fishing boat and crew came under attack of pirates in the middle of sea, but fishermen soon overpowered and captured three of them". He said that he had nothing to do with the issue, and BFD was involving him as he was in Karachi, and FIR against him was illogical and "illegal".
Whereas, All Pakistan Mahee Gheer Welfare Organisation in a press conference warned the government of countrywide agitation if a counter-FIR was not lodged against BFD officials in Karachi on the charges of robbing the boat loaded with millions of rupees seafood. The President of the association, Bacha Khan, and General Secretary Waheed Mughal claimed that the boat was busy in fishing farther than 80 nautical miles from Balochistan's Jewani coast.
"Fishermen successfully foiled the robbery attempt and captured three of the pirates, along with arms, while one managed to flee," they added. They cited their conversation on phone with the boat captain as saying: "a fast moving boat came to us trying to kidnap our boat with 21 crew members aboard at gunpoint but fishermen foiled their attempt and captured the decoits". They added that one of the decoits, fleeing the scene, opened indiscriminate fire at the boat and injured at least six of the crew members.
They alleged that BFD had lodged an FIR against the fishermen without carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident. They termed the BFD's act as "illegal and unfair". They said all the three pirates would be handed over to Sindh government after reaching Karachi some time on Wednesday, and added that "the fishermen's association will pursue the case against them in the court of law to bring them to justice".
But, the BFD officials claimed that the Karachi based fishing boat was poaching near Iran's navigational border in Balochistan's territorial waters, when the violent incident occurred, according to sources. They charged the Karachi fishermen with abducting its three officials in a violent tussle. The officials said they had faced a stiff challenge from the Karachi based poachers after giving warnings to the boat captain, sources added.
"The armed gangsters on fishing trawlers farther from Jiwani shore adjacent to Iran border took an official and two security guards hostage and abducted them on Sunday," sources cited the BFD officials as saying. The BFD said its officials intercepted a boat which was engaged in illegal fishing when they faced a swift reaction from the crew who abducted two officials and one guard at gunpoint.
The department officials claimed that sub-inspector Beberg Baloch and his two security guards Atta Mohammad and Mohammad Arif were missing since they went chasing the poaching boat in Balochistan waters. The occurrence, according to fisheries stakeholders including boat owners, would yield far-reaching implications on Sindh's fishermen's fishing venture into Balochistan waters. They think there could be a complete ban on Sindh's fishermen, which would cripple the already dwindling fisheries sector.