The government’s decision to fence Gwadar under its ‘Safe City Project’ has been met with criticism by various factions in Balochistan. Politicians, nationalists, tribal chieftains and the general public alike have criticized the decision, each with their own set of arguments against it.
‘Tyranny of the past 70 years’
Akhtar Mengal, the Chief of Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-Mengal), said that the fencing of Gwadar is reminiscent of the historical division of East and West Germany. He said that the Baloch must be considered equal citizens; we won’t endure living like a slave.
Addressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) power show in Lahore, the BNP-M chief said that Balochistan has been – and still is – enduring crushing atrocities for the past 70 years. We have suffered numerous losses: Baloch mothers have been bereaved of their children, our habitats have been desolated, our youth have been targeted, but we still brandished the ensign of democracy. Punjab is to be held accountable for the tyranny of the past 70 years, Mengal said.
Mengal said that Gwadar is being divided like East and West Germany. The people are being evicted; the fishermen are no longer allowed to enter the region. He said that we are not against development, but we won’t accept a development that costs us our existence, our identity and our tongue.
‘Another curse for the Baloch nation’
Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, leader of the Baloch pro-independence group Balochistan Liberation Front, said that cities of Balochistan are being converted into “mass jails.”
“After vast illegal land grabs, forced en masse displacements, mass surveillance, enforced disappearances and the ‘kill and dump’ policy in Balochistan to have a strong foothold at Gwadar, the state has now resorted to fence the city”, he tweeted.
The pro-independence leader said that the “so-called” China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is just “another curse for the Baloch nation.” He said that the Baloch have every right to resist the fencing. “Human rights organisations should also resist such brazen fascist steps in Balochistan and make their voices heard”, he concluded.
‘Barbed wire development’
Former Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani also criticized the fencing, saying that we won’t accept the ‘barbed wire development.’
He said that Pakistan is plotting to ‘occupy’ our land under the pretext of the CPEC, which it ‘hypocritically’ flaunts as a source of prosperity and progress. He said that anyone abetting these ‘conspirators’ will be considered the ‘enemy’ of the Baloch, Pashtoon and the Sindhis.
‘A two-phase strategy’
Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, the president of the National Party, condemned the decision of fencing Gwadar, calling it “the government measures of evicting the local population of Gwadar.” He said that this a two-phase strategy: the first phase is to divide the population of Gwadar by fencing the city, and the second phase is to evict the inhabitants altogether.
He said that Gwadar is a part of the Balochistan, and we will foil any conspiracies made against it. We won’t compromise on Gwadar; the provincial government must take into account the sentiments of the people of Balochistan and immediately halt the process. But if the fencing continues, it will engender severe consequences.
Dr. Malik said that we will launch a political campaign in coalition with other political parties against this decision.
‘The sun will shine on us again’
Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) Khalil Baloch also raised concerns over the decision, calling it an attempt to ensconce the government’s grasp on Gwadar and the beginning of the conspiracy to wrest the coastal strip from the Baloch. He said that banning the fishermen from the area, the establishment of the ‘trailer mafia’ and arrogation of the Baloch lands are just the sub-phases of the overall conspiracy. He said that like Gwadar, the rest of the Balochistan has been morphed into a military cantonment.
Chairman Khalil Baloch said that Pakistan is increasing the pace of its ‘imperialistic agendas’ to isolate the coastal strip of Balochistan. It is the need of the time for the Baloch nation to unite for their survival. The day is not far off when the designs of the ‘oppressive Pakistani state’ will bite the dust and the sun will shine on us again.
‘We won’t capitulate before any kind of schemes’
Bashir Zeb Baloch, head of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), said that won’t let the ‘Chinese and the Punjabi imperialism’ to solidify their grip on Balochistan by isolating its population. He said that we subscribe to the ideology of the Baloch self-sacrificers; we won’t capitulate before any kind of schemes.
He further said that commander of the BLA ‘martyr Aslam Baloch’ believed that until Balochistan has secured its full independence, there won’t be any compromise on its fate. China or any other foreign imperialist won’t be allowed to plunder the resources of Balochistan.
‘You can’t seal a city for its protection’
Baloch lawyers have called the decision of fencing Gwadar “illegal” and a conspiracy against Balochistan and its people, saying that the decision will be challenged in the Balochistan High Court and Balochistan-wide protests will be held too.
The Quetta Bar Association Vice-Chairperson Muneer Kakar said in a joint press conference with the Balochistan Bar Council that the centre thinks that it will control Gwadar once it is fenced, cut we won’t let that happen. “You can’t seal a city for its protection”, the lawyer said.
Kakar said that the inhabitants of Gwadar do not have access to clean drinking water, yet the government is squandering the funds on fencing the city.
‘We will not allow the looting of Balochistan’s resources’
Opposition Senator Kabir Muhammad Shahi said on Friday that the government is hatching a conspiracy to separate Gwadar from the rest of the Balochistan. Speaking at a press conference, the National Party senator said that his party and the people of Gwadar will not accept this decision and resist it at all forums. “We will take up the issue at all forums, including the Pakistan Democratic Movement”, he said.
Muhammad Shahi resented that the presidency has become a hothouse of issuing ordinances. Initially, an attempt was made to declare the coastal belt of Balochistan the property of the federation; then in another ordinance, the islands of Sindh and Balochistan were handed over to the federal government. He said that the latter ordinance was not discussed in the Senate, adding that the decision to hand over Gwadar to the federal government on the name of security was a flagrant intervention in the provincial affairs.
“We will not allow the looting of Balochistan’s resources through a presidential ordinance’, he said.
‘Some areas being provided extra security’
Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said on Saturday rebutted the ‘rumour’ that the whole of Gwadar was being sealed, and called it the opposition’s propaganda. He said that the opposition was giving a false impression that the entire city was being sealed.
Talking to journalists, Alyani said that the entire port city was open, and barbed wires were being laid in few specific areas for extra security after the recent incident.
“We are taking steps in some areas of Gwadar to provide extra security and the entire port city is open except these areas and there is no problem for anybody.”