KARACHI: The Directorate General of the Sindh’s fisheries department has been under severe political pressure to issue/renew the banned ‘Fish Meal’ factory licenses to influential fishermen, it is learnt. The DG Fisheries had clearly refused to renew the license of M/s Pak China Fish Meal, who had earlier obtained a license illegally despite the ban imposed by the Sindh government. According to sources, the Sindh minister for fisheries had clearly directed authorities that no license shall be issued to any one from May 28, 2015 onwards so as to protect the environment and species of fish in the waters. “You are requested to issue directives to the concerned quarters to impose an instant ban on the license to the fish meal factories with immediate effect”, says a letter of the minister available with Daily Times. Later, the Director General Fisheries Sindh was also directed to take immediate action by the minister livestock and fisheries. However, despite all official correspondence, an influential fisherman namely Sikandar Jat, son of Abu Bakkar Jat, illegally got fish meal license for his firm namely – Pak China Fish Meal located at deh Rehri, Karachi, on 06 July 2015. The sources said that Assistant Director Fisheries Qadir Bux Charan illegally issued the license to Sikandar Jat by violating all the orders of his seniors and despite the ban on fish meal factories by the European Union. And, now after the new cabinet of Sindh is in place, the new Minister for Fisheries Mohammad Ali Malkani is allegedly using his influence to get renewed the license of fish meal on demand of owner of the fish meal factory. However, the Director General, Fisheries Ghulam Mohammad Mahar has clearly refused to issue/renew the license for any fish meal factory. Daily Times repeatedly tried to contact Sindh Minister for Fisheries Mohammad Ali Malkani, however, his cell phone remained unattended till filing of the report.