Baloch, Sindhi activists protest against CPEC, China, Pak outside Chinese Embassy

London : The Baloch and Sindhi leaders staged a joint protest against the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor outside the Chinese embassy in London on Wednesday.

Organised by the World Baloch Organisation, and led by Javed Mengal, the protesters shouted slogans against both China and Pakistan.

The Baloch were joined by Sindhi activists from the World Sindhi Congress.

The protesters were carrying banners saying “China Hands-off Balochistan”, “Stop Baloch Genocide” and “No to CPEC”.

People across Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) are raising concerns over 51.5 billion dollar China-led, multi-layered infrastructure project, which aims to connect Kashgar, in China’s western province of Xinjiang, with the port of Gwadar in the Pakistani province of Balochistan.

The road and rail network under the project traverses through Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, before terminating in Balochictan.

Though touted by the Pakistan government as a `game changer’ there has been a relentless wave of opposition to the project from the local population in many parts of the country.

Some of the key project of the CPEC are being undertaken in Balochistan. Chief among them is the development of the Gwadar Port.

However, as China accelerates work on the port project and other aspects of the CPEC, opposition among the local people against them is mounting.

Baloch nationalist groups in the province, who have for years been demanding independence and have frequently clashed with the Pakistani army and establishment, have also called the opposition of the project.

People in the resource-rich province strongly believe that the CPEC will only result in the economic exploitation of Balochistan, with the people being reduced to a minority in their own land.

Source : Zee News