KHUZDAR: Deputy Chairman of the Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri has voiced concern at water crisis in Gwadar saying the government has done nothing so far to resolve the issue despite its claim that the port city will be developed on the pattern of Hong Kong.

Speaking at a seminar in the industrial town of Hub on Thursday, he deplored that the livelihood of Gwadar’s fishermen was being snatched.

“Due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the whole world is eying Balochistan in particular and Pakistan in general, as this multi-billion project will bring economic benefits to the entire region,” he said. “This is why we want the CPEC to be completed successfully.”

Mr Haideri, who is a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), said the federal government had to change its attitude towards Balochistan because people of the province still lacked basic amenities, including drinking water and health and education facilities.

Urges govt to ensure CPEC’s benefits trickle down to people of Balochistan

He also lashed out at the provincial government for its failure to set up vocational training centres to meet requirement of manpower to be created by the CPEC. “How many students from Balochistan have been sent to China to pursue studies there?” he asked.

“If we are making the world our enemy because of the CPEC, then why are we keeping our people away from its benefits?” was another question raised by the Senate’s deputy chief.

“Development and progress is our basic right, and we will attain it at any cost”, he further said. “India’s anger (at the CPEC) will make no difference, and we will attain what we think is better for our people.”

“The federation is still treating Balochistan as its stepson. This has to be stopped,” Maulana Haideri said.

About Balochistan’s seats in the National Assembly, he said that in the Census-2017, population of Balochistan had increased by around 40 per cent, but authorities concerned were not ready to increase the province’s seats in the assembly.

He said Balochistan had only 14 seats in the National Assembly, a number lower than that of the seats of Faisalabad division.

He demanded that Balochistan’s National Assembly seats be increased according to its population.

Referring to the recent political developments in the country, the JUI-F leader said had the federal government not withdrawn the controversial constitutional amendment about election candidates’ declaration about their faith in the finality of prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), “we would have parted our ways with the government and taken to the streets”.“But thankfully, the government realised the seriousness of the issue and prevented the situation from further deteriorating.”

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017