January 11, 2023
Pakistan’s strategic City Gwadar faces Chaos
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar, the hub of the mammoth $62 billion infrastructure project known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is in a siege-like situation amid unrest caused by a crackdown against protesting Balochs.
The city faced a blackout of mobile and internet communications for almost a week. While the mobile networks have been restored, the internet has been shut down since December 28, according to the Diplomat.
The unrest erupted when police raided a sit-in protest camp and arrested members and leaders of the Haq Do Tehreek Gwadar (HDT) meansGive Gwadar Its Rights Movement. This was followed by mass demonstrations against the crackdown of the police and paramilitary forces.
The HDT movement is led by local leader Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman. In November 2021 HDT unveiled 17 demes whichinclude an end to illegal trawling in the sea off Gwadar’s coast, a reduction of security checkpoints in the region, recovery of missing persons, and an easing of curbs on border trade with Iran.
Gwadar, with its deep-water port, is a fulcrum for Pakistan and China’s economic development projects, earning it the title of the “crown jewel” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The city is often envisioned as a future Dubai in the region.
Media reports suggest that there are fewer than 500 Chinese in Gwadar, all based in the Gwadar Port compound.
Chinese citizens are facing increasing threats from different militant groups in Pakistan, with a rise in recent incidents of targeted attacks on China nationals. The growing anti-China sentiment in Gwadar may adversely impact the progress of key CPEC projects, say reports.
Balochi, Sindhi militants unite
Tellingly, anti-China Balochs have found a new partner - a separatist organization in Sindh, which also plans to oppose the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Balochistan already has the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) which have been fighting for independence from Pakistan. Now these four have joined hands with the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) to form the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), with the aim of opposing the CPEC, which they say is exploiting the local people to benefit the Punjab-dominated areas.
A statement by BRAS said: "Through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan and China aim to subjugate Sindh and Balochistan to acquire their illegitimate political, economic and militaristic interests and want to occupy the coasts and resources from Badin to Gwadar."
The massive CPEC that runs through the entire length of Pakistan including Gilgit-Baltistan.
17 demands
On November 15, 2021 thousands of people walked from Gwadar’s Syed Hashumi Chowk to Gwadar Y-Chowk near Gwadar port. Here the “Gwadar Haq Do Tehreek” unveiled 17 demands:
1. The sea should be cleansed of the “trawlers mafia,” patronage of this mafia should be stopped, strict legislation should be enacted against them, and the Fisheries Ordinance 1986 should be implemented.
2. Fishermen should be allowed to go to sea freely. Humiliation of fishermen in the name of entry tokens and VIPs should be stopped.
3. The humiliation of the people should be stopped in the name of security. This means an elimination of unnecessary checkpoints. Moreover, unnecessary check posts on the Coastal Highway from Jiwani to Karachi and on the highway from Gwadar to Quetta should be abolished.
4. All liquor stores in Gwadar should be banned completely. Other drugs should be eliminated.
5. Immediate lifting of restrictions on border trade and transportation of food items from Iran, provision of a free border trade environment for Makran Division, elimination of token system and elimination of paramilitary FC interference.
6. A complete university should be established in Gwadar, and a University Vice Chancellor should be appointed immediately.
7. Orders for the posts of non-teaching staff of the Department of Education should be made immediately.
8. The trade of counterfeit drugs should be banned in Gwadar district and action should be taken against the dealers.
9. District Gwadar should be declared a disaster area and the arrears of utility bills of the citizens should be forgiven. Local consumers of Gwadar district should be given a subsidy of 300 residential units per month.
10. The vehicles, boats and speedboats seized by the Coast Guard, Customs and MS from Jiwani to Hormara should be returned immediately.
11. The water crisis in Darbila, Chib Rekani, Nogdu, Palleri, Pishukan, Suntsar and Jiwani areas should be addressed on an emergency basis.
12. In the China Overseas Holding Company, people from Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan are given less salary and benefits than those from outside. Local people should be given priority.
13. The district administration should abide by the agreement made with the Darbila Victims Committee.
14. Expressway victims should be given adequate compensation: as for victims whose names are not registered or a transparent survey has not been done, their names should be registered immediately and they should be compensated.
15. Damage to Gwadar fishermen from hurricanes, boats and trawlers etc. should be compensated.
16. The forcibly disappeared persons should be recovered. Qasim son of Hashim, a resident of Gwadar, should be recovered especially and immediately.
17. Cases against Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the head of Haq Do Tehreek, and the three cases against youth of the movement should be withdrawn and the letter of the Fourth Schedule should also be withdrawn.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Editor -in-Chief of the Journal of America: www.journalofamerica.net. email: asghazali2011@gmail.com
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The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
