Karachi, November 21
Massive protests have erupted in Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar against unnecessary checkpoints, a severe shortage of water and electricity and threats to livelihoods from illegal fishing, part of a growing backlash against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The protests organised by workers of some political parties, civil rights activists, fishermen and concerned citizens have been going on for a week at Y Chowk on Port Road in Gwadar, a coastal town in the restive southwest Balochistan province of Pakistan. The protesters demand removal of unnecessary security checkposts, availability of drinking water and electricity, eviction of big fishing trawlers from the Makran coast and opening of the border with Iran from Panjgur to Gwadar, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
India’s concern
- India has protested to China over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The massive project connects China’s Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Balochistan
- The Gwadar port has long been portrayed as the jewel in the CPEC crown, but in the process, the city has become the very embodiment of a security state
Head of the ‘Give rights to Gwadar’ rally Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman said the protests would continue until their demands were met, asserting that the government had not been sincere in resolving the problems of the local people living in the region.
Rehman has strongly criticised the government in the past for failing to resolve the basic problems of the people of Gwadar.
Will support Chinese businesses in Pak: Imran
Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said his government would support Chinese businesses in Pakistan on a priority basis. He directed the authorities to immediately resolve the issues related to road connectivity and provision of utilities being faced by investors from China. Khan made the remarks during his meeting with a Chinese business delegation led by Chen Yan from Challenge Fashion (Pvt) Ltd on Saturday. PTI
(The article is generated from The Tribune via feeds, The Chenab Times staff didn’t wrote this news.)
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