A large number of fishermen in Pakistan's Gwadar region where China is building a port recently demonstrated against the Imran Khan government for granting Chinese trawlers fishing rights in Gwadar by issuing them licenses.
The National Party and Baloch Student Organisation had called for the protest rally and sit-in in front of the Gwadar Press Club against the government’s move, reported The Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English daily.
Apart from fishermen, political workers and members of civil society also participated in the protest.
The participants of the rally marched on the roads of the coastal town and later staged the sit-in, the Dawn reported.
Leader of Gwadar’s fishermen Khuda-i-Dad Waju spoke while attending the protest.
Waju was quoted as saying by Dawn that fishermen of Gwadar were already facing violation of fishing limits by Sindh’s fishing trawlers and now the federal government had allowed foreign trawlers to deprive the fishermen of Gwadar of their livelihood.
Protestors said the fishermen of Gwadar had vacated their fishing spots for the construction of the Gwadar port hoping that their economic conditions would improve once the port was ready, but now the Imran government had issued licences to Chinese trawlers which was badly affecting their livelihood.
At least two million people are connected to the fishing business in Gwadar. Their livelihoods depend on day-to-day fishing. Last year Chinese trawlers were allowed in Karachi coast resulting in protests.
It is no secret that Beijing has invested heavily under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor () with Gwadar Port as the entry point.
The National Party and Baloch Student Organisation had called for the protest rally and sit-in in front of the Gwadar Press Club against the government’s move, reported The Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English daily.
Apart from fishermen, political workers and members of civil society also participated in the protest.
The participants of the rally marched on the roads of the coastal town and later staged the sit-in, the Dawn reported.
Leader of Gwadar’s fishermen Khuda-i-Dad Waju spoke while attending the protest.
Waju was quoted as saying by Dawn that fishermen of Gwadar were already facing violation of fishing limits by Sindh’s fishing trawlers and now the federal government had allowed foreign trawlers to deprive the fishermen of Gwadar of their livelihood.
Protestors said the fishermen of Gwadar had vacated their fishing spots for the construction of the Gwadar port hoping that their economic conditions would improve once the port was ready, but now the Imran government had issued licences to Chinese trawlers which was badly affecting their livelihood.
At least two million people are connected to the fishing business in Gwadar. Their livelihoods depend on day-to-day fishing. Last year Chinese trawlers were allowed in Karachi coast resulting in protests.
It is no secret that Beijing has invested heavily under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor () with Gwadar Port as the entry point.
Read More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.