Thousands protest lack of water and electricity in Gwadar

Gwadar: Thousands of people gathered in Gwadar to protest the lack of drinking water and electricity in the port city.

A video shared by Riaz Sohail, a journalist associated with BBC Urdu, showed demonstrators demanding their rights.

According to Sohail, it was one of the largest protest in recent months.

China is involved in the development of the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea as part of a $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is itself part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.

Gwadar, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, is the crown jewel of China’s investment in Belt and Road Initiative projects in Pakistan.

The plan is to turn Gwadar into a trans-shipment hub and megaport to be built alongside special economic zones from which export-focused industries will ship goods worldwide. A web of energy pipelines, roads and rail links will connect Gwadar to China’s western regions.