The leader of protest sit-in being staged in Gwadar has said that they are demonstrating for their basic rights enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan, brushing aside any notion that the protest targets China-led development in Gwadar or China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“China is our friend and we are not at all against China, China-led development in Gwadar or China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Gwadar protest and sit-in is not aversive to Gwadar Port being operated by the China Overseas Port Holding Company, rather it aims at seeking our right to live a peaceful life that every Pakistani deserves,” said Maulana Hadayat ur Rehman, leader of Gwadar sit-in protest, in an interview with Gwadar Pro. Sharing his views, he rejected the propaganda being made by the West by painting the 23-day-long sit-in as being hostile towards China. “Let me tell you categorically that we are demonstrating only to reclaim our basic rights enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan,” he added.
Another leader of the protest movement said that during the sit-in, the protestors never blocked the Eastbay Expressway being constructed by the Gwadar Port Authority under CPEC, which shows that “we never want to disrupt ongoing development work in Gwadar being carried out by our Chinese brethren.” He shrugged off all conspiracy theories in this regard and said once demands put forth by the protestors are met by the government of Pakistan, the sit-in will disperse peacefully.
The China Overseas Port Holding Company officials said that the sit-in leadership had made it clear right in the beginning that the protest would never pose any problem for the Chinese workers in Gwadar. “They consider China and the COPHC as friends,” the officials said, adding that the port is functioning as per routine and without any disruption.