Fisherman’s Son Triumphs in Gwadar Elections

Zareef Baloch

Gwadar: In the political history of Gwadar and other Baloch-populated areas in Balochistan, religious political parties have struggled to garner as much support as Baloch nationalist parties.

Gwadar, renowned for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is expected to be a transformative project, hailed by officials as a game-changer for both China and Pakistan.

It is poised to become the financial hub of Pakistan, providing crucial connectivity to the global stage.

A few years ago, the emergence of Maulana Hidayat ul Rehman from Sur Bandan, a coastal town adjacent to Gwadar, as a prominent figure in Gwadar and the wider Balochistan region was unforeseen.

Despite his religious inclinations since childhood, he has become a notable public figure, marking an unexpected development in the region.

Commencing his political journey as a political worker, Maulana Rehman eventually secured a seat in the Balochistan Assembly from Gwadar.

Gwadar’s significance lies in its crucial geographical location, primarily attributed to its deep-sea port, making it strategically important.

In Gwadar, particularly in the Makran region, the notion of investing millions of rupees in an election campaign comes with inherent risks of both victory and defeat.

The idea that the son of a fisherman could triumph in the elections solely based on a narrative is unprecedented, especially in a region where only three families have dominated electoral victories for the past half century.

Mir Hammal Kalamti had been consistently winning elections in Gwadar for the last 15 years.

The unexpected triumph of Maulana signifies a notable shift in the political landscape of Gwadar. It marks a historic moment, as it is the first time in Gwadar’s history that an individual with religious inclinations has emerged victorious in an election.

Initiating his political career in 2003, Maulana, 44, embarked on his journey within the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), known as Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba.

Starting as a dedicated worker, he ascended to the position of provincial general secretary within the JI.

During the era of dictator Pervez Musharraf, elections were conducted in the country, leading to the emergence of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) as the single largest political party in both Balochistan and Islamabad.

Maulana Rehman faced a challenging 21-year political struggle, marked by consistent engagement with the public.

Despite his efforts, he encountered difficulty in garnering support from the people of Gwadar for JI, a party that generally carries a negative reputation. Consequently, he struggled to expand his political influence within the province.

As an important leader of JI, he used to protest on the public issue of Gwadar but found few participants in his caravan.

Despite Maulana Baloch’s unsuccessful attempt at contesting the election on the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ticket, he achieved success in the 2013 local body election by being elected as a councilor from his native village, Surbandan.

In August 2021, under the guidance of JI’s provincial general secretary, Maulana Rehman, the local community of Surbandan in Gwadar staged a two-day blockade of the Makran coastal highway. The protest was in response to fundamental issues such as water and power shortages in Gwadar. Political analysts view this demonstration as a pivotal moment that significantly boosted Rehman’s popularity.

Contrastingly, the residents of Gwadar expressed disappointment with Baloch nationalist parties, as they perceived a lack of interest from these parties in addressing the basic issues of the local community.

The primary factor behind Maulana’s political success was the perceived silence of mainstream political parties on public issues, which provided him with an opportunity to rise politically. In November 2021, under Maulana’s leadership, the ‘Hak Do Tehreek’ was launched, and during the same month, he organized a sit-in at the Port Road to Gwadar “Y” Chowke to address the basic issues of Gwadar.

This sit-in persisted for a month, concluding with successful negotiations between Maulana and the Chief Minister of Balochistan.

A year later, Maulana Baloch, leading the ‘Hak Do Tehreek,’ initiated another sit-in at the same location near the Gwadar Port and Economic Zone, which extended for an extended period. Concurrently, a protest rally involving women and children contributed to an increase in Maulana’s popularity among the local populace.

Initially beginning in the last week of October, the sit-in was later relocated to the CPEC road in the last week of December, leading to the blocking of the Gwadar Expressway for all types of traffic activities.

Following failed negotiations with protesters, on the early morning of December 26, 2022, the Gwadar police took action to disperse the sit-in participants, resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of ‘Hak Do Tehreek’ workers, while Maulana Baloch managed to avoid arrest.

In January 2023, Maulana was apprehended by Gwadar police when he appeared in court seeking bail. Numerous cases were filed against him, leading to his detention in police custody and subsequent imprisonment for four months.

However, in May 2023, Maulana was released on bail following an order from the Supreme Court. Presently, he faces a multitude of cases in various courts.

In the local bodies election in Gwadar in May 2022, ‘Hak Do Tehreek,’ led by Maulana Baloch, played a pivotal role in securing an overwhelming majority for the alliance of various political parties in Gwadar.

This alliance, comprising all major political parties, emerged victorious in the elections, with ‘Hak Do Tehreek’ contributing significantly to the success of the alliance.

Zareef Baloch is a freelance journalist based in Gwadar, Balochistan.