GWADAR: The negotiations between the Balochistan government and protest leaders of ‘Haq Du Tehreek’ failed to make any headway on Saturday.

The protesters have been holding a sit-in at the Expressway, the road leading to key installations like the port and the under construction Gwadar International Airport.

The Chinese engineers and other staff working on the construction of the airport reached their workplace on Saturday using the sea route as the expressway has been closed for three days.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove and Advisor to Balochistan chief minister on Public Health Engineering, Lala Rasheed reached Gwadar on the direction of the chief minister to hold talks with the protesters.

According to officials, negotiations were held between the government team and second-tier leadership of the ‘Haq Du Tehreek’. The movement’s head Maulana Hidayatur Rehman and another senior leader Hussian Wadila did not participate in the negotiations, the officials added.

Although officials confirmed that no progress was made, Mr Langove told the media the talks were held in a good atmosphere with an agreement to continue negotiations to resolve all issues.

He said some demands, relating to border trade with Iran have been referred to the federal government as the subject fell within their domain and they will take up the matter with the relevant stakeholders.

Maulana Rehman said the ministers who had come for the talks had “no authority” to resolve the issues. “If our demands are not met our sit-in will continue,” he warned.The protests have been going on for more than a month demanding a ban on illegal trawling in Gwadar and eliminating unnecessary checkpoints, among several other issues.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2022