In November 2021, thousands of people rallied and participated in sit-ins along Gwadar’s Harbor Road, demanding rights for the local Baloch people. What came to be known as the “Haq Do Tehreek” (Give Us Our Rights Movement) began mainly as a movement of the fishing community to address their grievances. But soon, women, children, men, and people from different walks of life joined the protests, making it the largest mass mobilization in the history of Gwadar.

Gwadar is not just another town or port. Located on Pakistan’s Makran coast, it sits near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. Its proximity to this strategic waterway through which a significant amount of the world’s oil and gas passes, and China’s investment and foothold at its port, have cemented Gwadar’s role not only in regional trade but also in global maritime geopolitics.

Gwadar port and Balochistan’s mineral wealth have, however, long been points of contention and have contributed to the turbulent political situation in the province.

As the gateway of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Gwadar port triggered great expectations in the early days of the port’s construction. Many believed that the fishing town would be transformed into a modern city, bringing prosperity to Gwadar’s residents. But two decades later, most of the expectations are unfulfilled.

In 2021, the Haq Do Tehreek emerged. The movement drew attention to the wide gap between the development and prosperity that Gwadar port promised and the everyday realities that the majority of its residents encountered. It brought people together to demand basic services like water, electricity, economic security, a ban on illegal fishing and trawling, freedom of movement, and relief from excessive security checkpoints, along with a list of other longstanding grievances.

Thus, in 2021, the Haq Do Tehreek became a symbol of resistance, and an example of how collective action and local mass mobilization of people, mainly the fishing community, could bring their long-neglected grievances to the forefront.

One of the reasons for the Haq Do Tehreek’s rapid rise and mass participation was its leadership. Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the leader of Haq Do Tehreek, was already politically active as a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). He also belonged to the fishing community, rather than to elite or established political families. This helped him connect with the masses. Consequently, JI activists and fishing communities participated in large numbers in the movement. In December 2022, they participated in large numbers to protest and blockade the entrance to Gwadar port and the East Bay Expressway.

The Haq Do Tehreek began as a peaceful movement. However, it soon escalated and violence erupted. A police constable died from injuries in the unrest; more than 100 people were arrested and restrictions were imposed on public gatherings and telecommunications.

With the government cracking down on the movement, Rehman came under scrutiny, forcing him to go into hiding in December 2022. When he re-emerged weeks later in January 2023 and presented himself before the courts to surrender and seek bail, he was arrested. He denied allegations linking him to the constable’s death and was then granted bail by the Supreme Court in May 2023. Mass support for the Maulana increased after his arrest. In February 2024, Rehman contested provincial elections and won a seat in the Balochistan assembly.

His participation in elections was controversial; while some considered his contesting the election as a route for pursuing the movement’s demands through formal politics, others opposed it, seeing it as a step that would weaken the Haq Do Tehreek. There were doubts whether Rehman, who had built his reputation by challenging the authorities, could deliver results from within the same political system.

Many conspiracy theories circulated at that time. Some believed that Rehman’s political rise and participation in elections were engineered by the state. After all, his entry into the provincial assembly served the government’s interest, as the unrelenting rallies and mass protests that he led were putting pressure on the local police and undermining the law and order situation in an already restive province.

So, has Rehman, as a legislator in the Balochistan assembly, been successful in getting the grievances of Gwardar’s residents addressed? The results are mixed. Illegal fishing and trawling, which were major concerns during the protests, continue unabated, as do the presence of innumerable security checkpoints and shortages of water and electricity.

Although such issues cannot be resolved overnight, the people of Gwadar cannot help but wonder what the movement achieved through its leaders joining formal politics.

The Haq Do Tehreek has transformed over the last couple of years. From a grassroots movement, it has evolved into a political party. Since the 2024 provincial elections, Haq Do Tehreek is listed as a political party with Pakistan’s Election Commission. Maulana’s political party is listed as Haq Do Tehreek on the Balochistan Assembly’s website.

Haq Do Tehreek no longer conducts mass mobilizations, aside from a long march from Quetta to Islamabad in July 2025 that Rehman led to pressure the federal government to address longstanding Baloch grievances, including enforced disappearances, restrictions on border trade, and illegal trawling. Even then, some claimed the march was organized by JI, others described it as the “Haq Do Balochistan Long March.”

The movement also suffered a setback with the death of its secretary-general, Hafeez Kiazai, in a road accident in March 2026.

Rehman is reportedly taking up issues pertaining to the fisherfolk in the provincial assembly. In October 2026, he chaired a meeting of the Balochistan Assembly’s Standing Committee on Fisheries in Gwadar to review the proposed Balochistan Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill 2026. The meeting brought together fishermen and other stakeholders to discuss reforms to protect their livelihoods and marine resources.

However, Gwadar’s Haq Do Tehreek has clearly lost the momentum and energy it once displayed. The massive rallies that were seen in 2021-2023 are no longer visible.

The movement may have handed over its struggle to formal politics, but formal politics also comes with its own constraints. After all, blaming and criticizing the very system one has become a part of is a contradiction in itself.