The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) has announced that its protest camp in Quetta will continue despite the critical illness of the organization’s vice chairman, Mama Qadeer Baloch, who has led the campaign against enforced disappearances for over 15 years.
In a statement released on Wednesday, VBMP said a key meeting was held under the chairmanship of its chairman, Nasrullah Baloch, to discuss ongoing organizational matters and the future of the protest camp.
The group confirmed that while Mama Qadeer remains hospitalized in critical condition, the protest camp will not be suspended. “The camp will continue as a platform to raise voices for the rights of families of the missing and other oppressed individuals,” the statement said.
VBMP has appointed Executive Committee member Niaz Muhammad Nechari to take over the camp’s administrative leadership. Nechari began overseeing the camp on Thursday and affirmed the organization’s continued commitment to the issue of enforced disappearances.
Speaking at the camp, Nechari said, “Enforced disappearances are deep wounds on the body of Balochistan. As long as even one person is missing, our struggle will continue.”
He added that the protest camp is not merely symbolic but a “ray of hope for the families of the forcibly disappeared,” and urged the government to recover all missing persons and end the cycle of disappearances so that “the people of Balochistan can live with dignity and honour.”
The protest camp, which began in 2009, has now completed 15 years, 6 months, and 24 days, making it one of the longest continuous human rights protests. Under Mama Qadeer’s leadership, the camp operated daily outside the Quetta Press Club, with Qadeer maintaining a hunger strike from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM without food.
Mama Qadeer, a towering figure in the Baloch rights movement, was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Dr. Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi on 16 May after his health rapidly deteriorated. He remains in critical condition and is currently on oxygen support.
A video released by VBMP showed the veteran activist in a hospital bed wearing an oxygen mask. His prolonged physical effort, advancing age, and emotional toll from years of activism are believed to have contributed to his condition.
His illness has sparked widespread concern among human rights advocates, Baloch political circles, and human rights supporters across the region. Public appeals have circulated on social media urging prayers for his recovery.
VBMP, which has documented thousands of cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, said it remains committed to continuing Mama Qadeer’s legacy and drawing national and international attention to the plight of the missing.