Quetta (Monitoring Desk): The daughter of forcibly disappeared elder Nasir Qambrani has issued a stark warning, stating that if her father is not released within 24 hours, they will be block highways. Speaking at a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, she recounted the night of March 17 at 2:30 AM when Pakistani forces including ATF, CTD police and plainclothes personnel raided their home and took her father into custody, forcibly disappearing him.
She emphasized that her father is a social activist who has always worked for the betterment of the community and played a vital role in resolving public issues. “He has always advocated for peace and development in the region. He is not a criminal, yet he has been subjected to enforced disappearance for the second time”.
Addressing journalists, she appealed for media attention, urging them to fulfill their journalistic responsibility by highlighting the plight of families suffering from enforced disappearances. She further remarked, “Every daughter in Balochistan knows that the state has authority and that is why we seek justice through legal channels. We believe in the power of conscience and hope that the voices of democratic Balochistan will not be silenced.”
Recounting her father’s previous detention, she revealed that he was held by intelligence agencies for three years without any charges. “During his past detention, he suffered severe torture, which severely affected his health, leading to high blood pressure, asthma and heart disease. We are deeply concerned about his well-being,”.
She declared that these past three days have felt like three years for their family and vowed that they would not remain silent any longer. Calling upon relevant institutions, human rights organizations and the judiciary, she demanded that if her father is accused of any crime, he should be presented before a court. “The Pakistani government and law enforcement agencies must clarify his whereabouts and the treatment he is being subjected to,” she insisted, urging for his immediate release before the holy month of Ramadan.
She also disclosed that several other members of her family have been subjected to enforced disappearance this year, including Jawed Qambrani, Abrar Qambrani, Zia-ur-Rehman Qambrani, Fazal-ur-Rehman Qambrani, Ali Asghar Qambrani, Bilal Ahmed Bangulzai and most recently, her father’s cousin Abdul Rehman Qambrani, who was taken last night during a raid. “The raids on our homes have become an ongoing ordeal. We are not asking for any special favors or making illegal demands. Like thousands of other Baloch sisters and daughters, we are simply demanding that if our family members are guilty, they should be presented before a court. If they are innocent, they must be released,” .
Highlighting the grim reality of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, she stated that no household has been spared from this suffering. “There is also a continuous cycle of fake encounters, where forcibly disappeared individuals are being killed extrajudicially, leaving families in a constant state of fear and uncertainty.”
She stated that: “Our only plea to the government is to immediately release my father. If he has committed any crime, he should be tried in court. If our legitimate demands are not met within 24 hours, we will be forced to block highways, take to the streets, and raise our voices on every available platform. We demand justice, and if we are denied it, we will take every possible action to fight for it.”
