Explain why fishing permits not issued to Indian boats: Pak

A Pakistani court has asked the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) to explain why fishing permits are not issued for various seized Indian boats purchased by private contractors.

The Sindh High Court said these contractors buy the boats during auctions and complete all legal formalities.

According to the Express Tribune, the SHC bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, called for these comments on Wednesday while hearing a petition of the contractors.

The contractors took the Maritime Security Agency, the Pakistan Coast Guards, the Livestock and Fisheries department, the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority and others to court last year, complaining that they were being denied permits.

According to the report, the petitioner informed that they had participated in the official auction of the Indian boats that were seized by the Maritime Security Agency for illegally entering the country's economic zone.

The petitioners said they participated in the auction and bought the boats.

Later, they requested the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority to issue fishing permits as required under the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority Ordinance 1984, but the same are not being issued due to which they are not authorised to take their boats to the sea, said lawyer Mirza Sarfaraz Ahmed, the report added.