Quetta: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has paid tribute to veteran human rights activist Mama Qadeer Baloch, describing him as an era of popular resistance and a leading symbol of the Baloch struggle for rights.
In a statement issued following his death, the committee said that Mama Qadeer Baloch emerged as a powerful symbol of peaceful resistance, perseverance, and courage for the Baloch people. The statement highlighted that he led a historic struggle against enforced disappearances for more than sixteen years and remained steadfast in this cause until his last breath.
According to the statement, Mama Qadeer Baloch began his struggle in 2009 after his son, Jalil Reki, was forcibly disappeared. Although Jalil Reki’s mutilated body was later recovered, Mama Qadeer transformed his personal tragedy into a collective and dignified public movement against enforced disappearances.
The committee said that Mama Qadeer turned his grief into collective awareness and became a source of hope for families of missing persons. His historic long march on foot from Quetta to Islamabad was described as one of the most significant public marches not only in Balochistan but in global protest history. The march, was more than a protest, it represented the silent cries of victims, the anguish of mothers, and a clear demand for the right to life of missing persons.
The statement further noted that Mama Qadeer remained a strong and unwavering voice for Baloch missing persons and their families until his final moments. Despite immense pressure and hardships, he never retreated from his demands for justice, truth, and human dignity.
While Mama Qadeer Baloch is no longer physically present, the committee said that his struggle, sacrifices, and ideology will remain alive in the history of the Baloch nation. He was not merely an individual, but a movement that will continue to inspire future generations toward resistance, resilience, and struggle.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee concluded by reaffirming its commitment to carry forward Mama Qadeer Baloch’s struggle against enforced disappearances and what it described as genocide of the Baloch people, pledging to pursue the movement in a more organized, strong, and effective manner.
