GWADAR: National Party president and former chief minister of Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that the fencing of Gwadar will not be accepted at any cost and advised the provincial government to abandon the fencing project as it is bound to face strong political resistance.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, he said that the fencing project was aimed at dividing the port city and ultimately “separating Gwadar coast from Balochistan”.

Dr Baloch said that the plan to erect a fence in Gwadar was similar to the Musharraf government’s plan to declare Gwadar a federally administered territory.

“The Musharraf regime abandoned the plan due to political and democratic resistance, but now efforts are being made to implement it again,” he added.

The NP leader said that the fencing would restrict the movement of residents of Gwadar who would finally be forced to leave the city and settle somewhere else.

He said that fences were seen at border areas, but nowhere in the world or Pakistan a fence was erected inside a city.

He said that the fencing project had been launched overnight, but no effort was being made to provide basic civic amenities to the inhabitants of Gwadar.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2020