The local population of Gwadar is being forced to relocate due to the establishment of mega projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch activist and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
In a video message, Dr. Baloch stated that extensive fencing around Gwadar is part of a strategy to imprison the local population. “Pakistan is closing off Gwadar from all sides with fences, aiming to confine the life of the Baloch people. There is no other population in the world that has been enclosed with fences from all sides, nor is there such a large jail anywhere that confines an entire population and interrogates everyone coming and going,” she explained.
She further stated that the relocation efforts began when China initiated its mega projects and the CPEC in the region. “Since the start of these projects, there have been military operations in Gwadar, people have been forcibly disappeared, fishermen’s livelihoods are being jeopardized, and residents are being compelled to leave their lands,” she claimed.
Dr. Baloch also noted that infrastructure developments have been strategically planned to exacerbate flooding during the rainy season, further pressuring the local population to move. “Despite all these adversities, the people of Gwadar are not ready to leave their ancestral land,” she added.
It should also be noted that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has called for a protest today (Sunday) against the ongoing fencing in Gwadar.