World News | Pak: Gwadar Protesters End Sit-in After Govt Accepts Demands
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The residents of Pakistan's port town of Gwadar on Thursday called off their month-long sit-in protest after their demands were accepted by the government.
Islamabad, Dec 16 (PTI) The residents of Pakistan's port town of Gwadar on Thursday called off their month-long sit-in protest after their demands were accepted by the government.
Led by local cleric Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, the residents were protesting against the presence of large fishing trawlers encroaching on their livelihood on the local coast as well as pressing for provision of basic health facilities and drinking water.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo visited the protest camp and signed an agreement with Rehman to accept the demand. The agreement was reached after successful talks between the government and protestors.
In his address to the protesters, Bizenjo said a complete ban has been imposed on illegal fishing and directions have been issued to the departments concerned to fulfil other demands. "These are all legitimate demands," he said.
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Balochistan Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Buledi also tweeted that the talks were successful.
“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," he said.
Rehman said he hoped for the implementation of the agreement. "The struggle for the rights of the people of Gwadar and Balochistan will continue under the platform of the 'Haq Do Tehreek'," he tweeted.
Earlier, Federal Minister Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar 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 chief Khalid Mansoor.
Umar tweeted that all development projects in Gwadar were reviewed. "The people of Gwadar will see the impact of these projects in their daily lives," he said.
He also addressed a press conference and promised that various development schemes for Gwadar were being completed.
The protest continued for 32 days. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif called the protest a “watershed event” in the struggle for getting basic rights. He criticised the government for not paying any attention to the demands of the people of the port city.
“Owned and led by the people, it is a watershed event in the struggle for the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the protestors were pressing for "very legitimate demands" and promised strong action against illegal fishing activities.
Gwadar is best known for its deep seaport developed by China, which also has invested heavily in the area under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)