Gwadar’s Coastal Highway Blocked Due to Protests

Protestors in Gwadar have completely blocked the coastal highway after Balochistan Police detained seven Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) supporters, including their leader, Hussain Wadala, in Pasni.

Following the arrests, HDT blocked the national artery and also announced demonstrations and rallies in the port city in support of the arrested leaders.

Furthermore, National Party (NP) also criticized the arrest of HDT activists and demanded their immediate release. General Secretary (GS) of NP, Muhammad Jan Buledi, urged the provincial government to have a dialogue with the protestors and their leadership.

Speaking about the arrest, the Balochistan government’s spokesperson, Farah Azeem, revealed that demonstrators attempted to block the Gwadar port, which is why police apprehended them. She further remarked that the movement’s approach is aggressive.

Additionally, Balochistan’s Home Minister, Meer Ziaullah Langau, emphasized on resolving the issue via dialogue and stated that the government is working on ending the sit-in in Gwadar.

It is worth mentioning here that the HDT is spearheading a campaign of locals who are demanding fewer checkpoints, smoother border trade, and a stop to deep-sea fish trawling in the Gwadar Sea. It has been protesting for over eight weeks under the leadership of Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman against the aforementioned problems.