A Baloch tribal elder and political activist from Quetta has returned home after more than three months in custody, while a young man has reportedly been forcibly disappeared in a separate incident in Karachi.
Nasir Qambarani Released After Three-Month Detention
Nasir Qambarani, a tribal elder and activist from Balochistan’s Quetta city, was released on Tuesday after being held incommunicado for over three months.
According to his family, he was detained by Pakistani security forces during a late-night raid on his residence on 17 March. No formal charges were filed against him, and authorities did not acknowledge his arrest throughout the period of his disappearance.
Following his detention, Qambarani’s family staged protests in Quetta calling for his release. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the incident, describing it as a violation of constitutional and human rights.
On Tuesday, his family confirmed he had returned home safely. While no official statement has been issued regarding the circumstances of his release, the family expressed gratitude to all those who raised their voices for his recovery.
This is the second time Nasir Qambarani has reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance. On 20 August 2015, he was allegedly abducted by Pakistani forces and held in illegal detention for nearly three years before being released in June 2018.
Youth ‘Forcibly Disappeared’ in Karachi Raid
In a separate incident, a young Baloch man was reportedly taken by security forces during an overnight raid in Karachi.
Abdul Rehman Baloch, the son of Khuda Bakhsh Baloch and a resident of Mauripur, was detained in the early hours of 15 June, according to his family.
Eyewitnesses said plainclothes individuals accompanied by military personnel entered the home around 12:30am and took Abdul Rehman without presenting a warrant or giving any explanation for the arrest.
His whereabouts remain unknown.
The family has condemned the incident as “unlawful and unconstitutional” and called for his immediate and safe release.
Pakistani authorities had not issued any official statement regarding the incident at the time of publication.