Gwadar Port Will Not Be Operational Without Basic Rights for Locals: JI Balochistan Chief
Quetta:Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan chief and Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman has issued a stern warning that Gwadar Port cannot be made operational unless the local population is provided with basic necessities such as electricity, clean water, and employment.
Speaking at a press conference at Quetta Press Club on Thursday, flanked by party officials Zahid Akhtar Baloch, Basheer Ahmed Mandai, Abdul Naeem Rind, and Abdul Wali Shakir, Maulana Hidayat declared, *”If any attempt is made to operationalize the port without fulfilling our demands, it will have to pass over our dead bodies.”*
He demanded immediate implementation of an 8-point agreement previously promised by the federal government. If the demands are not met within six months, Jamaat-e-Islami would be compelled to launch another protest movement, marching from Quetta to the GHQ (General Headquarters) in Rawalpindi, he warned.
The key demands include:
* Restoration of peace in Balochistan
* End to enforced disappearances and recovery of missing persons
* Removal of Frontier Corps (FC) checkpoints
* Dignity and respect for local women and elders
* End to border closures and crackdown on local traders
* Action against the trawler mafia
* Access to Balochistan’s natural resources for locals
* Release of political prisoners and protection of political freedom
Maulana Hidayat accused the Balochistan government of failing to represent the people and instead acting as an advocate for powerful elements. He emphasized that the provincial assembly resolutions and questions carry no real weight due to federal negligence.
He further criticized the allocation of Rs. 80 billion to law enforcement, questioning its effectiveness in restoring peace. *”The government exists for only four hours a day, while for the remaining 20 hours, there is no writ of the state,”* he said.
Referring to the recent long march from Quetta to Islamabad launched on July 25, he said Punjab authorities attempted to block the march, but the public in Punjab welcomed them warmly.
He also raised concerns over rising unemployment, saying the government is shutting down old transport vehicles instead of helping transporters buy new ones.
In conclusion, he stated that if the government fails to deliver on its promises, JI will convene a grand jirga involving political, religious, and trader organizations to decide future actions, including another mass protest.
