Gwadar protesters end sit-in after govt ‘accepts all demands’

Gwadar: After more than a month of staging protests for their basic rights, the residents of Gwadar on Thursday called off their sit-in after successful negotiations with the government.

Earlier today, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar had paid a visit to Gwadar on the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan alongside Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority czar Khalid Mansoor.

Speaking to the media after attending a meeting chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Umar said that it was his understanding that the protests would finish “in a day or two”.

However, provincial Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi announced on Twitter shortly after that negotiations with Maulana Hidayatur Rehman — the leader of the Gwadar protest movement — had been successful. Meanwhile, Rehman took to the stage at the site of the protest to call off the sit-in.

“Negotiations with Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, in the presence of the chief minister, have been successful. The government has accepted all the demands of Maulana sahib and the dharna is to be called off,” Buledi said.

The protest, which began more than a month ago, saw tens of thousands of people, including women and children as well as fishermen, march on the main roads and streets of Gwadar in support of their movement.

Their demands ranged from the presence of large fishing trawlers encroaching on their livelihood to lack of health facilities and drinking water. –(Agencies)