Gwadar, Turbat residents protest for basic amenities

JI threatens biggest rally in Balochistan history on Oct 31 if demands not met

GWADAR:

Thousands of people hailing from different areas of Gwadar and Turbat staged a demonstration against the non-availability of drinking water, health services, education facilities and increasing unemployment in the new port city and other areas of Makran on Thursday.

The Provincial General Secretary of Jamat-e-Islami Balochistan, Maulana Hidayat-Ur-Rehman Baloch led the protest in the port city.

Addressing the public meeting, the Maulana strongly criticized the government, saying that during the last 70 years governments have failed to resolve the basic problems of the people of Makran and especially Gwadar.

“We are demanding the rights of Gwadar, which were usurped by the rulers and the people were even deprived of basic needs,” he said. “The fishermen were not able to earn their livelihood as big trawlers were allowed for fishing at Makran Coast,”

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The Maulana added that despite building the Gwadar Deep Sea Port, the people of Gwadar were still jobless and government has done nothing in this regard so far. “It is an insult for the sons of soil when they are stopped at checkpoints and inquired about their whereabouts.”

He maintained that we are Pakistanis and demanded constitutional rights. “If demanding legitimate rights is a crime then we will continue to commit this crime and would not compromise on it,” the Balochistan JI Secretary General warned.

He has given 30 days to the incumbent Balochistan Awami Party led government for accepting the demands of the people. “If the government representatives do not pay heed to it then he would announce staging the largest sit-in in the history of Balochistan at a press conference on October 31 at Mullah Fazal Chowk of the Port city of Gwadar.

Maulana Hidayat demanded that big trawlers should be stopped from entering Makran coast for fishing, concerned departments should provide drinking water, health and education facilities and all unnecessary check posts should be abolished.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2021.