KARACHI: At least 14 fishermen were reported missing on Wednesday after their boat capsized off Thatta, local sources said.
The boat, named Al-Asad, had a crew of about 45 fishermen, 31 of whom were rescued after the incident.
Hailing from Ibrahim Hyderi in Karachi, the largest fishing community, the fishermen left for a fishing trip on Monday afternoon and were expected to return on Wednesday.
The survivor, Riaz, said the ship was overloaded and they were unaware of the bad weather. “My brother was with me,” he said, adding, “despite all my efforts I could not save him.”
Pakistan FisherFolk Forum (PFF) Chairman Mehran Shah shared the list of missing fishermen which includes Riaz Bengali, Ahmed Bangali, Shakeel Bengali, Sajjad, Koki, Hasho, Riaz Ashraf, Noor Alam, Rahim, Sher Mallah, Muneer, Alam Bengali, Qayoom and Hussain .
“Families are in agony,” Shah said, adding that immediate rescue efforts were needed.
Criticizing the government for its inaction, he said the Sindh government had not issued any statements or visited the distressed families to offer condolences.
“This is not the first incident where fishermen have been left to fend for themselves,” Shah added.
Late Koki’s father Sikandar pleaded for his son’s return and said that Koki’s marriage was planned after the holy month of Ramazan.
He added that his son was the sole breadwinner of the family. Echoing her husband’s sentiments, Koki’s mother Najma appealed to the government to bring her son back safely.
