Young Baloch mountaineer Mansoor Qambrani is among the eight individuals who were ‘forcibly disappeared’ from Quetta. Qambrani went missing earlier in June and was released when his family members, Baloch rights activists and groups ran campaigns for his recovery.
According to reports, the eight mountaineers were attending a wedding ceremony in the Killi Sohrab area of Quetta when they were “forcibly disappeared” by the Pakistani security forces and moved to an undisclosed location. The detainees were identified as Mansoor Qambrai, Wasay Qambrani, Dawood Qambrani, Zubair Qambrani, Aziz Zehri, Shakeel Shahwani, Umair Zehri and Shabir Sumalani. The detainees were members of the Mureed Adventure Club in Quetta.
It should be noted that mountaineer Mansoor Qambrani was also “abducted” in June this year, allegedly by the Pakistani forces, from Quetta. His family members and Baloch rights activists organized campaigns for his safe return, and due to the increasing pressure, he was released. But it seems that the freedom was short-lived, as he has been “abducted” once again.
‘Enforced disappearances’ saw a sudden spike in August. More than ten cases of ‘enforced disappearance’ were reported from different areas throughout Balochistan. Among these was Younas Anwar, the general secretary of a fishermen’s association, who was subsequently released.
Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, a rights group advocating for an end to ‘enforced disappearances in Balochistan, has said that the sudden rise in ‘enforced disappearances’ has also coincided with a rise in fake encounters where Baloch missing persons are rounded up and shot at gunpoint. The group resented that Balochistan is being turned into a bloodbath as human rights groups silently watch the spectacle.