Is Pakistan spying on the Baloch people in Gwadar using video drones? The Balochistan Post in a news report says that people have been protesting in the port city not just against water and power shortages but also against surveillance.
The Baloch media organisation says that Pakistani security forces have been flying drones over the strategic port city to keep a check on residential areas.
Reportedly, the issue has been raised by Opposition leader Malik Sikandar Khan Advocate in the Balochistan assembly. People say that surveillance through drones has violated their right to privacy.
Geopolitical analyst and legal professional Mark Kinra says: "China is inching forward every day to colonize Gwadar with the help of Pakistan and is therefore subjugating the Baloch people. After a wake of security attacks against Chinese people, China is increasing security, but in doing so, it is colonising Gwadar and infringing upon the privacy of individuals".
The Hindustan Times reported earlier that China is in the process of supplying four armed drones to Pakistan, ostensibly to protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s new base at Gwadar port.
The supply of two systems (each has two drones and a ground station) precedes Beijing’s plan to jointly produce 48 GJ-2 drones. This is the military version of Wing Loong II, designed in China for use by Pakistan’s air force.
Gwadar is important for China as it is building a naval and a commercial port. It plans to link up the Arabian Sea through the port with its south-western territories through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project has, however, seen resistance from the local Baloch population.
Kinra adds that because of security concerns, Gwadar’s fisherman community is being harassed and not allowed to profess occupation on account of security. On the other hand, after trying to fence out Baloch people from Gwadar, they are flying spy drones in the city. "According to local sources, China has given drones to Pakistan after attacks on Chinese nationals. There are reports of Pakistan Army’s operations in various parts of Balochistan and there is an uptick of people being abducted by the Pakistani Army as well," Kinra says.
The protests have been supported by a wide section of the civil society–opposition parties, fishing communities and the local people.
