Gwadar Protest Protest in Pakistan's Gwadar: Additional police force deployed to control agitators
Balochistan, Pakistan/IBNS: Balochistan police have issued orders to send 5,500 police officers to Gwadar from other districts to maintain peace and security in the region where people are protesting for more than a week.
The Dawn reported citing a notification issued by Balochistan's Central Police Office that the additional police force being sent comprises deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and station house officers (SHOs) in addition to lower-cadre personnel.
The notification said Gwadar's senior superintendent of police (SSP) would be the overall commander of the force while the most senior DSP would be the overall commander for the concerned district police.
The sub-divisional police officers would be in charge of their concerned sub-divisional force, whereas the SHOs would command their respective police station personnel, the Pak newspaper reported.
"Except ASP (assistant superintendent of police)/DSP and SHOs, no one shall carry weapon[s]. Two gunmen with each ASP/DSP and each SHO shall accompany the police personnel and ensure their security and safety," the notification read.
The ongoing protest in Gwadar has been going on for over 18 days now.
Protesters are demanding access to clean drinking water and an end to the "trawler mafia", among other things.
Agitators from Gwadar, Turbat, Pishkan, Zamran, Buleda, Ormara and Pasni are taking part in the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Give Rights to Gwadar Movement) led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, a local leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).
The JI leader told The Dawn that agitators have blocked the Makran Coastal Highway from four different locations on Thursday, further extending the protest.
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