Pakistan police arrest Baloch rights leader from Gwadar

Islamabad, Jan 13 (EFE).- The police in Pakistan on Friday arrested Baloch rights leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman in Gwadar, days after a cop was shot dead during a protest led by him in the port city.

The police had registered a case against Haq do Tehreek (HDT, or Give Rights Movement) Chairman Maulana Hidayatur Rehman in relation to the killing of the cop.

Three of his party associates had been arrested the previous day.

“Maulana surrendered before a court in Gwadar where the police arrested him,” Nazim Hussain, a police official in Gwadar, told EFE.

For over two months now, thousands of HDT protesters have been demonstrating on the streets demanding their rights.

Due to the protests, electricity blackouts and mobile network suspension were reported in port city, touted as the key to the country’s economic future.

Around the end of December, the police had also arrested over 100 HDT protesters after imposing an emergency law that prohibits gathering of five or more people, usually for security reasons.

During the violent protests, a police official was killed which led the government to impose the emergency law.

According to a police statement, firing by the protestors was responsible for the death of constable Yasir Saeed, who was deployed at the demonstration for law and order purposes.

HDT, however, has denied having firing on the police.

The protesters have been demonstrating in the city demanding an end to illegal trawling in Gwadar’s waters, eliminating security checkpoints and opening up of trade on the Pak-Iran border, as well as clean drinking water.

Balochistan’s Home Minister Zia ullah Langau had told EFE earlier that all of the demands of the protesters had been accepted but they were doing politics in the name of protest.

On the other hand, the protest leaders have denied this claim of the government. EFE

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