- Says ‘very legitimate demands’ of Gwadar’s fishermen to be met
ISLAMABAD: Taking note of continued protests in Gwadar city of Balochistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday ordered ‘strong steps’ against illegal fishing off the coast of Gwadar.
Gwadar Port is linchpin of a key route of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Tens of thousands of fishermen and locals have been on the streets demanding a ban on illegal fishing, removal of security checkpoints from within the port city, and action against drug smuggling and wine shops.
“I have taken notice of the very legitimate demands of the hardworking fishermen of Gwadar. [I] will be taking strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers and will also speak to CM [Chief Minister] Balochistan,” Imran Khan said in an announcement on Twitter.
I have taken notice of the very legitimate demands of the hardworking fishermen of Gwadar. Will be taking strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers & will also speak to CM Balochistan.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 12, 2021
The fishermen accuse Chinese fishing companies of being involved in illegal fishing, which they say has deprived them of their only source of income.
Protesters closed the highways connecting Gwadar to Karachi, forcing the government to deploy 5,500 additional riot police in Gwadar, where security personnel have been a common sight ever since the announcement of CPEC in 2015.
Earlier, thousands of women gathered in the coastal town for the biggest rally yet in a week-long series of demonstrations demanding basic civic facilities.
Protesters said that at the launch of the CPEC, both Pakistan and China governments, had promised them that Gwadar — then a small city centred around the strategically located fishing port — would soon be transformed into a glittering modern metropolis, similar to Dubai or Shenzhen.
But despite the passage of six years, the reality is very different. About 100,000 people do not have access to clean drinking water in Gwadar port town, let alone in other parts of the district.
With its 600-kilometre (373-mile) coastline, Gwadar is a key deep seaport currently operated by China, which seeks to gain direct access to the Indian Ocean via Gwadar in line with its $64 billion CPEC.
The economic corridor is hoped to provide China cheaper access to Africa and the Middle East and also earn Pakistan billions of dollars to provide transit facilities to the world’s second-largest economy.
Many, nonetheless, complain that locals have benefited little from the project.
The government of Balochistan, of which Gwadar is a district, says the protesters’ four major demands, including the closure of wine shops and removal of the “additional” security checkpoints, have been met.
Islamabad, for its part, has recently announced several solar power and potable water projects for Gwadar, an otherwise less-developed district that borders neighbouring Afghanistan and Iran.
FISHERMAN LEADS PROTESTS
Maulana Hidaytullah Baloch, a leader of the Jamat-i-Islami (JI) party, has been leading the mammoth protests for the last 28 days.
The son of a fisherman hit the limelight a few months ago when his message on social media platforms “I’m coming this evening. Are you too?” went viral, prompting thousands of locals to take part in a protest rally, which is viewed as the starting point of the ongoing movement.
His party has never been politically influential in Gwadar, but his popular stand has put him at the centre of the region’s politics.
In an interview with Gwadar Pro last week, Baloch termed China a friend of Gwadar, asserting the protesters were “not at all against China, the development work or CPEC”.
“Rather it aims to seek rights to live a life that every Pakistani deserves,” he added.
Contrary to centuries of local traditions, thousands of women attended a rally to support Baloch in Gwadar last week.
The large province, which is also considered to cover parts of neighbouring Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important due to its rich copper, zinc, and natural gas reserves.
The province has long witnessed a low-intensity militancy waged by India-funded terror groups.
