Gwadar: Massive protests have swept through the Balochistan province of Pakistan, especially the Gwadar region, where people are holding rallies and demonstrations calling out the government for mistreating the region and its people.
While accusing Islamabad of working in cahoots with Chinese authorities, they say that people in Gwadar are losing jobs due to the so-called game-changer China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Their protests have also aimed to highlight a rise in the plights of commoners due to a significant rise in load shedding.
A protester said, “We are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. We, the people of Balochistan have only two options to choose from, either to sink in the sea or sit in the lap of the devil. CPEC has been a historical problem. We have just been able to just about meet our ends because of CPEC”.
The fishermen, who are on the front line in these latest anti-Islamabad protests say they have assured prosperity when the CPEC agreement was signed but the promises have vanished into thin air. On the contrary, the situation has grown so desperate that they are able to just about make ends meet.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has already rendered a big blow to the already battered economy of Pakistan, the fishermen have suffered a double whammy with even little prospects of returning to sea dying down with the country’s new policy under which the Chinese are gaining control of the Gwadar Port and the region around it.
They have been cleared away from their fishing areas and now with no employment, distressed locals say they are left with little or no option to look forward to in life.