The unprecedented hike in oil prices coupled with looming global food crisis have made life miserable for the poor and those belonging to low income groups across the globe.
Even many rich countries are grappling with the food crisis and inflationary phenomenon. Prices of commodities have sharply risen during the last few years. In Pakistan, the situation is more bleak and threatening.
A recent report of Dr Mehbubul Haq Research Centre said that 73 per cent of the population in the country lived below poverty line.
The rising inflation measured through Sensitive Price Index (SPI) has broken decades-old record and the rupee is sharply depreciating against the US dollar. Besides all these, the ever-worst law and order situation, gifted by the eight-year long tyrannical and dictatorial regime's policies, have further worsened the situation.
The hopes of the masses of improvement in the situation after the February 18 polls is fast diminishing due to the PPP-led government’s policy to blindly toe the flawed policies of President Pervez Musharraf.
The poor segment of the society is no more in a position to secure two time meals. Reports about the selling of their children or committing suicide due to abject poverty and hunger have pounded newspapers in recent months.

Like other segments of the society the high inflation and unprecedented increase in oil prices is threatening the livelihood of the poor fishing community. The extraordinary increase in diesel prices may force 100,000 crew members of 4,000 boats to stay idle at home, as the official ban on fishing ended on July 31.
A spokesman for the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) said the situation would affect more than 100,000 fishermen’s families belonging to Karachi.
According to boat owners, their fishing preparations start 15 days before the ban ends. However, this year due to inflated diesel prices they have yet to decide whether to venture out into the sea despite the ban having ended on July 31.
Criticising the government, the boat owners stated that they were finding it very difficult to operate their fishing vessels under this situation.
PFF Chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah commented that the boat workers were the main victims of the increased fuel prices. “The crew works hard but due to lack of fish in the sea they are unable to obtain a proper share. Besides that, they are being deprived of proper rates for their catch in the local market. Sometimes they return empty handed and are unable to afford essential commodities,” he added.
Giving examples, Shah said all countries provided subsidies to the fishermen for boat-building, installing engines, purchasing nets and other fishing tools. However, here the government authorities deprived the fishermen of this right, which should be condemned, he added.
He said: “The government claims to have formed a fishing policy but has failed to disseminate it. How are we supposed to find out about the steps which they have taken to protect the rights of the fishermen?”
Because of the government's activities we have come to know that they promote aquaculture which is harmful for the community and may cause an environmental degradation, he stated. Secondly, the fishing policy is export-oriented and not community-friendly so we being the community representatives oppose it, he further added.
According to him the federal government has awarded licences to deep sea trawlers to exploit fish stocks in the Pakistani sea territory. These trawlers are also given subsidies by their respective governments for this purpose.
Shah said the PFF wanted the administrative powers of dealing with marine issues to be handed over to the provincial governments.
President of Bona Fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association Asif Bhatti stated that a boat which went to the sea each day needed at least 50 gallons of diesel worth Rs50,000, and Rs5,000 for ice which was used for refrigerating seafood per day. Other expenditures include rations for the crew members, which is a further burden that the boat owners cannot afford as there is no more fish available in the sea.
The boats which have to be in the sea for 15-25 days need diesel worth Rs550,000. The total expenditure, including oil, ice, ration and other requirements for a trip crosses Rs0.9 million. Each boat carries 15-25 crew members who nowadays are unable to catch enough fish to meet their expenditures.
A fish worker, Ahmed Jam, 54, said 35 years ago when he became a fisherman, the rate of diesel was Rs5 per litre and the value of shrimps in the local market was Rs400. Now the diesel rate is Rs65 per litre, but the price of seafood still remained the same.
According to the fishermen the government provides subsidies to the agricultural industry and not the fishing industry. The fishermen also demand equal facilities because they are also contributing to the national exchequer in a major way.
Meanwhile, the fishermen criticised the government’s decision of banning fishing in June and July.
The government imposes ban on fishing in Arabian Sea, as it remains highly rough during June and July every year. However this year, the Sindh government on the request of fishermen imposed ban in July only.
Talking to Weekly Pulse, Asif Bhatti said the ban had brought about financial problems for the fishermen.
He criticised the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) for the blind imposition of ban on fishing, saying that there should be an independent team to evolve a report on whether fishing should be allowed during the season or not.
He said the KFHA imposed ban every year on the pretext of breeding shrimps, which was baseless. “The breeding of the specie undergoes in Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, not in Arabian Sea,” he claimed.
There are some 40,000 fishermen venturing as daily wagers, he said, adding that such restrictions brought them to the verge of complete financial disaster.
He demanded of the government to provide alternative source of income to them during the off-season.
Mr Bhatti also regretted the “discriminatory” fishing ordinance of 1981, under which ban was only imposed on Karachi-based fishermen and others were spared while it was introduced for all coastal areas including Ibrahim Haideri.
He demanded of the government to redeem fishermen from the 26 years of plight inflicted on them in the shape of fishing ordinance of 1981.