Pakistan: Gwadar witnesses protest as women demonstrate demanding HDT chief's release

Deserving special mention was a demonstration by Burqa-clad women who raised their voice for Maulana Hidayat’s release. Maasi Zainab is the female face of the Gwadar agitation that has grabbed the nation’s attention for over a year, reports Dawn News.

Maasi Zainab said the HDT chief was put behind bars without any reason.

“He is being punished for speaking out against the injustice meted out to the people of Gwadar,” Maasi Zainab said while speaking to Dawn in this town’s Mullah Band area, near the deep sea port.

“Our fishermen were not being allowed to go out to the sea due to security considerations. Families had to go without a square meal for days together.

“But after the protests led by Maulana Hidayat, the authorities provided a little relief to fishermen. Now we are able to make ends meet.”

According to Zaini, as she is commonly known, the Maulana has given a voice to the inhabitants of Gwadar, who were largely ignored by the authorities while charting out an uplift plan for this port town.

Another vocal woman here is Zargul Baloch, a member of the HDT. She was one of the leading organisers behind the women’s march.

While speaking to Dawn, she laments that the state does not bother to meet the citizens’ basic needs like water, electricity, education and health.

“The most alarming development for us has been illegal trawling as it wipes out entire fish stocks, leaving nothing for our fishermen. Maulana Hidayatur Rehman has given some hope to us.