Fishermen reject initial model of Gwadar expressway

Chinese officials informed of community’s reservations

QUETTA: The authorities concerned have informed Chinese officials about demands for ensuring a 200 feet passage for boats at Gwadar Eastbay Expressway and other reservations after the local community rejected the initial model of the project.

“As promised by the federal and provincial governments and Chinese officials, passage for boats at Gwadar Eastbay Expressway should have been 200 feet but the proposed model couldn’t meet with our demands,” local fishermen said after visiting the site of the project on Sunday.

Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal, Senator Kauda Babar, Chinese officials and representatives of the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) were present on the occasion.



The officials and the senator briefed the community regarding the boats’ passage. But the fishermen community termed it too narrow. It was highlighted that through the designed path the fishermen cannot gain easy access to the sea.

“If the government has decided to follow the narrow passage then they have decided to destroy the jobs of local fishing community of Gwadar,” they said and urged the government to build the passage proposed by them.

The federal minister, senator and GDA officials informed the Chinese officials regarding the fishermen community’s reservations and stressed the need for a 200-foot passage at the expressway.

Zubaida said, “We would convince the federal government to address the reservations of local fishermen community for the sake of their profession.”

She pledged to ensure the implementation of local fishermen’s demands.

Babar said that being a representative of the people of Gwadar he has raised their issues in the upper house of parliament.

“We are standing shoulder to shoulder with the local population and want to assure them that we won’t let anyone to exploit the rights of the people of Gwadar,” said Babar.