appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Adnan Aamir

Since November 15, thousands of people have protested on the doorstep of the Chinese-operated port in Gwadar. Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, an emerging charismatic leader, is heading the movement, called “Give Rights to Gwadar”.
Thousands of women have also marched in support. The protesters have said that if their demands are not met, they will close down operations at the port and other projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gwadar.
Gwadar, a coastal town in southwest Pakistan, became the centre of media attention in 2015 when it was chosen to be the hub of the CPEC, which is supposed to connect Gwadar with Kashgar in Xinjiang province through an economic corridor including roads, railway lines, energy projects and industrial zones.
The CPEC is the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and the port in Gwadar takes centre stage in the CPEC. Hence, Gwadar has taken on a significant position in China’s framework for Pakistan and any threat to halt work there affects the optics of the entire scheme.
There are three primary reasons driving the protests. The first is the humiliation felt by locals on a daily basis amid the many security checkpoints created to protect the port. Baloch insurgents accuse China of being a colonial exploiter, and Chinese interests in Gwadar have been attacked by insurgents. The latest incident took place in August, when a suicide bomber targeted Chinese engineers.


To protect Chinese workers in Gwadar, the Balochistan government started fencing off Gwadar city with barbed wire. This project was later halted amid protests by residents. Instead, the government has established multiple checkpoints in the city, at which residents must register before they are allowed to pass, creating great inconvenience.
Second, deep-sea fishing by trawlers has also affected people in Gwadar, where 65 per cent of the population depends on fishing for their livelihood. Local fishermen claim more than 2,000 deep-sea trawlers, some owned by Chinese, are destroying fish stocks in the area. In June, fishermen protested against the federal government granting licences for Chinese trawlers to fish near Gwadar.
In July, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency detained five Chinese trawlers near Gwadar for illegal fishing. These boats were eventually allowed to go, further aggravating residents who believe they are being economically strangled and the government is doing nothing to protect them.
Third, the protesters want basic amenities such as water and electricity. Six years after the inception of the CPEC, Gwadar still faces a shortage of drinking water in the summer and electricity supply failures throughout the year. People also want increased trade through the border with Iran, which is about 90km from Gwadar.

These problems have led local residents to say they will oppose any development in Gwadar, whether Chinese or not, as long as they are left out of its benefits. Their grievances have culminated in the current protests, with residents threatening to close down the port unless the issues are resolved immediately.
The protests appear to have troubled not only the government in Islamabad but also Chinese officials. However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed reports of anti-China protests in Gwadar were “fake news” aimed at smearing the CPEC’s work in the region.
Could protesters shut down Gwadar port? That would prove difficult given that Pakistan, with China’s encouragement, is doing its best to convince residents to end the protest. As of now, though, the protesters are adamant they will not cave in.
China’s US$62 billion project in Pakistan may become corridor to nowhere
The Balochistan government has sent 5,500 anti-riot police officers to Gwadar and could be considering ending the protests by force if necessary.
Such a move, however, could add further fuel to the fire. Angry protesters might take the law in their own hands, turning Gwadar into a chaotic, violent place. This is the last thing China and Pakistan should want to happen, given that they both wish to see the port succeed and become a thriving regional commercial hub.
Adnan Aamir is a journalist and columnist based in Quetta, Pakistan


China has scrapped two-thirds of its planned coal power plants abroad: report

Sisters of Pakistan’s Imran Khan arrested in Lahore, jailed ex-PM’s party says

The cooling trap: how Asia’s air conditioners are making heatwaves worse

Reporter’s note: two Delhis, one weekend – when the world came to dinner

Pakistan

Could Gwadar port protests close the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s crown jewel?

Gwadar port, seen before the inauguration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on November 13, 2016. The port’s expected benefits have not trickled down to local residents, leaving many feeling aggrieved. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan arrests dozens for killing Sri Lankan factory manager accused of blasphemy

Businessmen put candles and rose petals next to the portrait of a Sri Lankan manager of a sports equipment factory, who was killed in Sialkot, Pakistan. Photo: AP

Members of a civil society group participate in a demonstration to condemn the lynching incident. Photo: AP

Pakistanis protest after a Sri Lankan manager was lynched by a mob over allegations of blasphemy. Photo: EPA-EFE

Islamabad in talks with Taliban to expand China-Pakistan infrastructure scheme

The Karakorum Highway in Pakistan is a CPEC project. Photo: Xinhua

Imran Khan, Pakistan's prime minister, speaks in a prerecorded video during the United Nations General Assembly via live stream in New York, U.S., on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. A scaled-back United Nations General Assembly returns to Manhattan after going completely virtual last year, but fears about a possible spike in Covid-19 cases are making people in the host city less enthusiastic about the annual diplomatic gathering. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

In this Aug. 6, 2021 provided by United Nations Photo, Ghulam M. Isaczai, Afghanistan Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a news conference at U.N. headquarters. The dispute between Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers and its former government over who should speak at the United Nations' annual meeting of world leaders finally has an answer: no one. The Taliban had challenged the credentials of the ambassador from Afghanistan’s former government, and asked to represent the country at this year's General Assembly summit, which began Sept. 21 and ends Monday. (Manuel Elías/United Nations Photo via AP)

Pakistan attack targeting Chinese adds to concern over security threats

A damaged vehicle is seen at the site of the blast in Gwadar. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. Photo: Xinhua

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor faces new threats from militancy

Pakistani security personnel inspect the site of a suicide attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in 2018. Photo: AFP

Shipping containers moored at Gwadar port. Photo: Xinhua

Graphic showing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Image: SCMP

Opinion


Six years after Gwadar became the focal point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the benefits have yet to reach the city’s people
Protests over checkpoint humiliations, government inaction and failure to provide basic amenities threaten to shut down one of the project’s key hubs



Six years after Gwadar became the focal point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the benefits have yet to reach the city’s people. Protests over checkpoint humiliations, government inaction and failure to provide basic amenities threaten to shut down one of the project’s key hubs.


Belt and Road Initiative

Diplomacy

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)
