Should not be taken lightly as the situation is really concerning  as it not only resulted in  blockage of the roads linking the Gwadar port with rest of the province, but a precious life has also lost in these protest so far.  Yes, the killing of cop at the hands of protestors is not a small thing and it should be taken seriously and the perpetrators should be made to face the music.

Balochistan is a volatile province where the separatists groups are already active and they can take benefit of the two-month-long sit-in led by the Haq Do Tehreek.

The protestors are demanding an end to what they call the illegal fishing by trawlers in province’s maritime boundaries, relaxations and concessions in trade with Iran through border, end to narcotics, and also the recovery of missing persons.

Now these are genuine demands but the motive of the Haq Do Tehreek is still not known as to whether they are genuinely working for the masses or it is another political motivated move.

This is not for the first time that the people  of this port city are on the roads. Last year, they held a similar protest for provision of basic amenities like water and electric in the area in December last when the PTI government was in place.

The difference between the past and the current protests is that it is more intense in nature this time which can be gauged from the number of the protestors which is said to be around five thousands and secondly the protestors are adamant to press for their demand which is evident from long duration of their sit-in which is being held fro the last two months

The protestors include both men, women and children from the port city, Ormara, Turbat, Pishin, Buleda, Zamrana  and Pasni aras and it is being led by local JI leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman.

While the protestors would be allowed to play with lives of the security men or resorting to violence, the Government should also not ignore their demands as their demands are something which needs to be given attention to.

The fact is that the post city is still devoid of the basic amenities and secondly the finishing issue is also genuine as the sources are fast depleting which has raised an alarm among the area people, who depend heavily on fish resources for their livelihood.

Though Maulana Hidayatur Rehman of the HDT may be doing politics in the name of Baloch Rights but at the same time there is no harm in lending a sympatric ear to the genuine demands of the Baloch, who are already feeling deprived for many reasons.

Clearly, the Govt and those at the helm of affairs of provincial government should not ignore the level of rights awareness in Gwadar and after taking into account their just demands, the Govt must remove the concerns of the Gwadar residents and should ensure steps so that their livelihood resources are not affected and their other genuine demands are also met with.

Alienating the citizens of the port city should not be an option as the Baloch separatists and the militants groups can take benefit of the situation.

It may be mentioned here that the Baloch separatists and other militants groups are being funded by India to sabotage the CPEC project, which is a game-changer for Pakistan. So the Government should ensure steps that the Gwadar protestors’ demands are met with so that the anti0-state elements like the Baloch separatists cannot take benefit of the ongoing tussle between the authorities and the protestors.

Analysis say that  the menace of illegal deep sea trawling should be addressed by the government as it is creating sense of deprivation among the local people, who alleged that the trawlers mafia does  not allow them to fish within a dozen nautical miles of a maritime boundary due to which their livelihood is affected.

The say that with the arrival and addition of new trawlers from China in 2020 has further worsened the situation, adding to the woes of the local fishermen , who run from pillar to post to make both ends meet.

The Local fishermen alleged that the trawlers not only harass them while fishing but at times also deprive them of their catch forcibly.

On the other hand, it is a fact that the residents of the port city Gwadar do not have access to potable water, electricity, and other basic needs like education and employment. That’s why they are on the roads to demand the same.

In this backdrop, it is high time the state should give a sympathetic ear to their just demands and ensure steps to end deficiencies in delivery of basic services so that the area people can have access to basic amenities of life and their livelihood sources are also remain intact.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 29 2022

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