DERA MURAD JAMALI: The Deputy Chairman of Senate and secretary general of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, urged the federal government on Wednesday to take all steps to ensure protection of the rights of the people of Gwadar and remove their reservations by involving them in all development projects, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that huge funding was coming to Gwadar and the entire region through the CPEC and it was now the responsibility of the government to allay fears and reservations of the local people and take steps to ensure that they would benefit from the development taking place in their area.

“No doubt, the CPEC will prove to be a game changer for the entire region, but there is need to take steps to provide basic needs and facilities to the local people,” Maulana Haideri said.

He said Gwadar still had no drinking water and other basic facilities and it was the responsibility of the government to provide education, health and employment opportunities to the people of Makran division.

He said the country would face problems if old policies continued.

Referring to recent terrorist attacks across the country, he said terrorism had harmed the country and joint efforts were needed to defeat terrorists and extremists to make Pakistan a peaceful country for the next generation.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2017