Solutions for the people

After a month of protest, the sit-in and march in Gwadar, Balochistan, has finally come to an end. Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the JI leader who had spearheaded the protest, engaged in talks with members of the Balochistan provincial government, led by Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo. Essentially the agreement that brought the protest to an end revolved around assuring the people of Gwadar that the basic amenities they demand such as education and health will be provided, ending illegal trawling in the area which deprives the fishermen of their only means of livelihood, handing over control over trawling to the district government, releasing people arrested during the ‘Gwadar ko haq do’ movement and releasing boats and people who have been arrested or taken into detention during the time. This is an important move given the scale of the protest, and the determination of people to solve the issues that afflicted them. There has been a warning from the organisers that if the government doesn't keep its promises, a Million Person March to Quetta would be organised.

The fact that people have risen up to demand what should be their due is significant in its own way. In the first place, the protest remained entirely peaceful, and was joined by an extremely large number of women, adding a different dimension to protests seen in the past. The fishermen of Gwadar need fishing in order to survive. It is imperative that they be offered rights which allow them to enter the sea, and the fact that this has now happened is vital to the people of the area.

We now hope that the agreements reached with the people of Gwadar will be adhered to so that further protests are not required and there is an end to the unrest and uncertainty in the area. In Balochistan – or anywhere else for that matter – the provision of basic facilities must be top priority. The people of Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan have been ignored for far too long. It is time they were given the protections and basic rights that every citizen of Pakistan deserves and should have. All cities need universities and institutions; they need power and water. The same goes for Gwadar. There is also a need to involve the youth of the area in development and welfare projects for this region. The recent protests have also shown how people can obtain their rights in a manner that does not involve guns or violence and it suggests to the state that more must be done to ensure people are not deprived of their basic dues as citizens of the country.