Baloch activists around the world launched an online campaign for the safe release of a senior Baloch leader, Wahid Qambar Baloch, who was forcibly disappeared in Iran on July 19, 2024.
Thousands of Baloch activists, senior leaders, writers, and rights advocates including Wahid Qambar’s spouse and daughters launched a campaign on social media platform X, under the hashtag #ReleaseWahidKamberBaloch, demanding his safe release.
Wahid Bakhsh, more commonly known as Wahid Qambar, 74, was reportedly abducted from the city of Kerman, Iran, where he was receiving medical treatment. His disappearance has sparked widespread concern within the Baloch community and among human rights organizations.
Niaz Baloch, Deputy Coordinator of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) highlighted enforced disappearances in Balochistan during his intervention at the United Nations 57th Human Rights Council’s general debate in Geneva on Friday, September 20.
In his speech, Niaz Baloch mentioned the abduction of Wahid Qambar saying: “Recently, on July 19, 2024, a prominent Baloch leader, Wahid Buksh, also known as Wahid Qambar Baloch, aged 74, was abducted by Pakistani security forces from a neighboring country. His detention has raised deep concerns within the Baloch community and human rights organizations. As a senior leader and no longer an active political figure, his arrest appears politically motivated, violating his basic human rights.”
Another Baloch nationalist figure, Mir Abdul Nabi Bangulzai said in a message on X, “Ustad Wahid Kambar, a freedom-seeking Baloch leader, who is a cardiac patient and was under treatment in Kerman, has been abducted on 19 July 2024 by Pakistan’s secret agencies. we are concerned about his safety and demand to produce him before a court.”
The BNM’s human rights wing, Paank, has also shared emotional video appeals from Wahid Qambar’s wife and daughter, urging for his safe return. They revealed that this is not the first time he has been forcibly disappeared, and he still bears the marks of past torture.
Renowned writer and long-time Baloch movement advocate, Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur, also shared his worries on X, stating that “the life of Ustad Wahid Qambar is in danger as he has been abducted by State agencies.”
Wahid Qambar’s disappearance comes amid increasing concerns about the practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, where thousands of Baloch activists, intellectuals, and civilians have been reported missing, allegedly at the hands of Pakistani forces. Human rights groups continue to call for transparency and justice in these cases.