What Happened to Gwadar’s Rights Movement?

The Haq Do Tehreek, or “Give Us Our Rights Movement,” began in 2021 among Gwadar’s fishing community. It challenged the gap between the prosperity promised by Gwadar port and residents’ daily hardships. The movement mattered because it turned long-neglected local grievances into a powerful public campaign.

Supporters demanded reliable water and electricity, economic security, and freedom of movement. They also called for a ban on illegal fishing and trawling. Excessive security checkpoints were another major concern. These demands connected livelihood problems with wider complaints about restrictions and unequal development.

The movement soon included women, children, men, and people from different walks of life. It began peacefully but later faced arrests and restrictions after violence erupted. Illegal fishing, checkpoints, and shortages of water and electricity remain unresolved, showing that the movement’s central demands still shape Gwadar’s politics.

The 2021 Haq Do Tehreek mobilization was unusually large for Gwadar. Thousands of people rallied and participated in sit-ins along Harbor Road. The scale made it the largest mass mobilization in the town’s history. It showed that the grievances were not limited to one occupation or neighborhood.

The movement began mainly as a fishing community campaign. Its demands focused on illegal fishing, trawling, water, electricity, economic security, movement, and security checkpoints. As the protests continued, women, children, men, and people from different walks of life joined. This broadened the movement from a sectoral protest into a citywide mobilization.

That diversity gave the movement greater visibility and political weight. It presented Gwadar’s problems as shared public concerns, not only fishermen’s complaints. The mobilization brought local frustrations to the forefront, although later government action and unresolved services showed that mass participation did not quickly produce concrete solutions.

Gwadar’s port was presented as a gateway to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, creating hopes of a modern city and broad prosperity. Residents expected construction and investment to transform the fishing town. The port also raised expectations because Gwadar held strategic importance for regional trade and maritime activity.

Those expectations collided with daily problems. Many residents continued to face shortages of water and electricity, economic insecurity, illegal fishing and trawling, movement restrictions, and numerous security checkpoints. Gwadar port and Balochistan’s mineral wealth also remained points of contention, contributing to the province’s turbulent political situation. The promised benefits were therefore seen as distant from local life.

Two decades after construction began, most expectations were unfulfilled. The Haq Do Tehreek exposed this development gap by organizing residents around practical demands. Its rise showed that large infrastructure projects can generate frustration when local communities do not experience corresponding services, livelihoods, or security improvements.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman became effective because he combined political experience with a local social connection. He was already active as a member of Jamaat-e-Islami. At the same time, he belonged to Gwadar’s fishing community, rather than an elite or established political family. That background helped him speak to residents’ lived concerns.

His leadership gave the movement an organized base and a recognizable public figure. Jamaat-e-Islami activists joined in large numbers, while fishing communities also participated strongly. This combination connected a grassroots constituency with an existing political network. In December 2022, supporters protested and blockaded entrances to Gwadar port and the East Bay Expressway.

Rehman’s credibility grew because he led a movement challenging authorities while representing a community directly affected by the grievances. His arrest later increased mass support for him. In February 2024, he won a seat in the Balochistan assembly, shifting his role from protest leader toward formal politics.

The Haq Do Tehreek began as a peaceful movement but later escalated, and violence erupted. A police constable died from injuries during the unrest. The change from peaceful protest to violence created a major confrontation between the movement and the authorities. It also exposed participants and leaders to criminal allegations and legal action.

The government responded with a crackdown. More than 100 people were arrested, and restrictions were imposed on public gatherings and telecommunications. Under scrutiny, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman went into hiding in December 2022. He later re-emerged in January 2023, presented himself before the courts, and sought bail, but was arrested.

Rehman denied allegations connecting him to the constable’s death. The Supreme Court granted him bail in May 2023, and his arrest increased mass support. The episode intensified the movement’s political importance, while also leaving a legacy of confrontation, restrictions, and unresolved questions about accountability and public order.

Rehman’s move into formal politics changed the movement’s route for pursuing its demands. After his arrest, bail, and growing public support, he contested provincial elections in February 2024 and won a seat in the Balochistan assembly. Some supporters viewed this as a way to achieve results through institutions rather than continuous street protest.

Others feared that entering politics would weaken the Haq Do Tehreek. Rehman had built his reputation by challenging authorities, so his ability to deliver results within the same system was uncertain. Some even believed his political rise was engineered by the state, though the article presents this as a conspiracy theory. The movement has since evolved from grassroots activism into a political party.

The results are mixed. Illegal fishing and trawling continue, as do numerous security checkpoints and shortages of water and electricity. These problems cannot be solved overnight, but their persistence raises questions about what formal political participation has achieved for Gwadar’s residents.

Gwadar matters beyond Balochistan because it lies near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. A significant amount of the world’s oil and gas passes through this strategic waterway. That location gives Gwadar importance in regional trade and global maritime geopolitics, far beyond its identity as a coastal town.

China’s investment and foothold at Gwadar port further strengthen its regional role. The port is also described as the gateway of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. These connections created expectations that Gwadar would become a modern, prosperous city. They also made the port central to debates about who benefits from development.

Balochistan’s mineral wealth adds another source of political contention. Together, the port, the waterway, foreign investment, and natural resources have contributed to Gwadar’s strategic value and the province’s turbulent politics. The Haq Do Tehreek shows that global importance does not automatically deliver basic services or security to local residents.