GWADAR: Thousands of people from different areas of Gwadar and Turbat on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against non-availability of basic amenities and shortage of drinking water, health, education facilities and increasing unem­ployment in Gwadar and other areas of Makran division.

Seneral sec­retary of Jamaat-i-Islami’s Balochistan chapter Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch led the protest procession in Gwadar. It later turned into a big public meeting at Shuhada Jewani Chowk.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Baloch strongly criticised the government and the authorities concerned and said that over the last 70 years the successive governments had failed to resolve basic issues of the people of Makran and Gwadar.

“We are demanding basic rights of the people of Gwadar and Turbat which have been usurped by the rulers and the people have even been deprived of drinking water, health and education facilities and since the government has allowed big trawlers to fish at Makran Coast, local fishermen were also not able to earn their livelihood.”

The JI leader said that it was the responsibility of the state to solve problems of the masses, but it had not been fulfilling its responsibilities for the last 70 years.

“I announce a jihad against atrocities and injustices being committed against the people of Gwadar and Makran,” the Jamaat leader said.

He said that despite the construction of Gwadar seaport the people of the area were still jobless and the government had done nothing for providing jobs to them.

He said that thousands of people had come here from far-flung areas of Gwadar and Kech districts and taken to the streets to force the government to ensure provision of their basic rights of jobs, drinking water and education.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2021