BALOCHISTAN: The Paank Human Rights Organisation, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has strongly condemned the reported disappearance of senior officials from the University of Gwadar while on official travel from Gwadar to Quetta, expressing grave concern for their safety and wellbeing.
According to the statement issued, Vice Chancellor Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Pro-Vice Chancellor Syed Manzoor Ahmed, faculty member Dr. Irshad Buledi, and their driver Hatum went missing in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung district while traveling on official duty to Quetta. Their whereabouts remain unknown, causing growing concern among their families, colleagues and the wider academic community across Balochistan.
PAANK said the incident further highlights the deteriorating security situation faced by academics, intellectuals, and public servants in Balochistan, noting that educational institutions across Balochistan continue to operate under an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty amid ongoing violence, enforced disappearances, and targeted attacks.
As the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement, PAANK has consistently documented cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and targeted attacks against civilians, academics and activists across Balochistan. The organisation operates internationally to raise awareness of human rights conditions in the province and advocate for accountability before international human rights bodies.
The organisation also referenced the killing of lecturer Dilawar Khan in Kharan on March 4, 2026, in an attack it linked to state-backed armed groups, saying such incidents have intensified concerns over the safety of educators and the increasing risks faced by members of the academic community throughout Balochistan.
PAANK urged authorities and all concerned parties to take immediate and transparent steps to ensure the safe recovery of the missing officials, disclose accurate information regarding their whereabouts, guarantee the protection of academics, students, and public servants, and ensure full accountability for ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan.
