PML-N president and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said the ongoing protests in Gwadar were a “watershed event” in the struggle for basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. In a tweet, Shehbaz said the protests represented “a new chapter in our country”. “Owned and led by the people, it is a watershed event in the struggle for the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.” The opposition leader urged the government to listen to “the people’s voice and address their problems immediately”. Thousands of protestors are staging a sit-in against unnecessary check posts and fishing trawlers in the Gwadar district of Balochistan and are demanding civic amenities and employment opportunities for the local people, says a news report. Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday said the government would take a strong action against illegal fishing by the trawlers off the Gwadar coast. In a tweet, the premier said he had taken notice of the “very legitimate demands” of the hardworking fisherfolk of Gwadar. Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, who is leading the protests, welcomed the premier’s tweet and said they were not stubborn people, as the local residents also wanted a solution to their problems. He said it was really a welcome development that the prime minister had taken notice of the protest and decided to accept the demands of the people including illegal fishing in Balochistan’s territorial waters after their 28-day sit-in.