QUETTA: The head of negotiators for the provincial government of Balochistan said on Thursday he was ‘hopeful’ a month-long protest in the Pakistani port city of Gwadar would be called off this afternoon, saying all of the protesters’ demands had been met.
Gwadar is in Pakistan’s impoverished southwestern province of Balochistan, a sparsely populated, mountainous, desert region bordering Afghanistan and Iran. China has been involved in the development of the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea as part of a $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.
Protests against illegal trawling, a growing drugs trade and the lack of basic facilities like health and education erupted in mid-November and have gone on since under the banner of “Give Gwadar its Rights.” The movement gained momentum in the last week of November after thousands of women and children joined the protest.
“Talks between the Government negotiation team headed by CM Mir Abdul Qudus Bizenjo and Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman [the protest leader] have been finalized and the government has accepted all demands,” Zahoor Buledi, a provincial minister who is leading talks from the government side, told Arab News.
“CM Balochistan accompanied by federal ministers will visit the protest camp at 5pm today to announce the decisions in public.”
He added: “We are much hopeful that Maulana will call off the protest after meeting with the CM today.”
Rehman, who is the head of the Jamaat-i-Islami party in the port city, told Arab News the government had accepted all demands but the decision to call off demonstrations was not yet final.
“We are waiting for the chief minister and federal ministers who are scheduled to come to us today,” he said. “We will announce future plans after meeting them.”
Gwadar’s residents have long complained that Chinese presence and investment in the area has done little to improve their lives, particularly with regards to water scarcity and jobs. They say the Chinese project has robbed them of their primary source of livelihood, fishing, as giant fishing trawlers have come in through the Arabian Sea, resulting in the closure of a majority of fish processing factories.
China has said it is willing to work with the Pakistan government to ensure the benefits of CPEC projects trickle down to locals.
Balochistan government says ‘hopeful’ Gwadar protests to be called off today
https://arab.news/6v9ju
Balochistan government says ‘hopeful’ Gwadar protests to be called off today
- Protests against illegal trawling, drugs trade and lack of health and education facilities have gone on since mid-November
- Protest leader Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman says government accepted all demands but decision to call off protests not final
Pakistan joins 22 Muslim states, OIC to condemn Israeli FM’s visit to Somaliland
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited breakaway African region of Somaliland on January 6
- Muslim states urge Israel to withdraw Somaliland recognition, respect Somalia’s sovereignty
ISLAMABAD: A joint statement by Pakistan, 22 other Muslim states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s recent visit to Somaliland as a violation of the African nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Saar’s visit to Somaliland capital Hargeisa on Jan. 6 followed Israel’s move last month to recognize Somaliland, a breakaway region from Somalia, as an independent country. The move drew a sharp reaction from Muslim states, including Pakistan, who said it was in contravention of the UN Charter and international norms.
Several international news outlets months earlier reported that Israel had contacted Somaliland over the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza. Muslim countries fear Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region could be part of its plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to the region.
“The said visit constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and undermines established international norms and the United Nations Charter,” the joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign office, read.
The joint statement was issued on behalf of 23 Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Türkiye, Oman and others.
It reaffirmed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, pointing out that respect for international law and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states was necessary for regional stability.
“Encouraging secessionist agendas are unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region,” the statement said.
The joint statement urged Israel to revoke its recognition of the breakaway region.
“Israel should fully respect Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity and honor its obligations in compliance with international law, and demand immediate revocation of the recognition issued by Israel,” the statement read.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia unilaterally in 1991 as a civil war raged in the country. Somaliland has its own constitution, parliament and currency, a move that has infuriated Somalia over the years as it insists the region is part of its territory.
