BREAKING NEWS: Qambar Baloch goes ‘missing’

There are confirmed reports that Qambar Baloch, a student of the 8th semester in Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) department at the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITMS), has gone ‘missing’. He ‘disappeared’ on 12 February from Quetta city where he had been invited by some officials ‘to come for investigations’. Bold enough to face his investigators, Qambar had fixed the district compound area for the meeting with the ‘unidentified caller’ where he would meet him. Since then no one knows about his whereabouts.
Understandably, Qambar’s family members and friends are very worried about his safety as the ‘missing people’ in Balochistan in the past have returned with major signs of torture on their bodies.
The news of Qambar’s disappearance has spread across Balochistan because of his active participation in the movement for induction of quota system in the admissions of the BUITMS. Along with Khurshid Baloch and Qayyum Baloch, Qambar had staged an unto death hunger strike camp in front of the Quetta Press Club in July 2008. Enjoying the support of hundreds of Baloch students for their demands, Qambar Baloch and his friends said they were not fighting for themselves but for the rights of the Baloch youths whose future entirely hinged upon the district-based open merit at the BUITMS.
Qambar comes from Panjgur district while his father is a medical doctor. Another brother of his is a medical student.
While Qambar’s close friend, Qambar Chakar, told me that a case had been registered about Qambar’s disappearance with the Civil Line Police Station in Quetta, the police, when contacted by me, refused to give any details about the case. In the past, when police refused to disclose the details of similar cases involving someone’s disappearance, one could safely conclude that he had been ‘whisked away’.
The Baloch Students’ Organization (BSO-Azad) has strongly condemned the ‘disappearance’ of the Baloch student and demanded his immediate release. “We will stage a protest rally in front of the Quetta Press club tomorrow and address a press conference,” said Qambar Chakar, a leader of the BSO-Azad.


The Baloch Students Action Committee of the BUITMS protested today against the disappearance of Qambar Baloch in front of Quetta Press Club. Its members also addressed a press conference saying that they feared that the university management was directly involved in getting Qambar arrested. They gave an ultimatum of 24 hours to the Vice Chancellor of the University to use his good offices to ensure the release of the missing student. Qambar’s annual exams are scheduled for 20th of this month.
It is very disappointing that a brilliant Baloch young student, who has been struggling for the rights of his fellow students, has gone missing. Deliberate efforts are being made to destroy his academic year. We all know about the anti-Baloch policies of the BUITMS.
This seems to be a part of the newly unleashed cycle of arresting political workers. Previously, we saw the disappearance of Dr. Bashir Azeem, Chakar Qambarani and Jalil Reki, key leaders of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP). Barely in his early 20s, now Qambar Baloch has perhaps landed in some torture cells.
Ironically, Rehman Malik, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Interior Affairs, told a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House that the figures given about the missing Balochs are “unrealistic” and “exaggerated”.
Shame.
If these are false figures then one is justified in asking where these people go once they disappear. The PPP government should realize that such acts are likely to further alienate the Baloch. This wrong policy was enthusiastically pursued by the military regime of Pervez Musharraf but it, expectedly, backfired. The resurgence of the phenomenon of disappearances during a so-called democratic government is highly deplorable.
I feel dejected about Qambar’s disappearance for the reason that he is a personal friend of mine. I have deep respect for his commitment with his people. He is a man with a very respectful character. He comes from my area, Panjgur. I can not forget the lovely dinner Qambar and his friends had hosted for some journalists a few months ago. We had a wonderful time that evening. Now that my friend has gone missing, I consider it my duty to protest his ‘disappearance’. This is completely undemocratic to whisk someone away for the simple but illogical reason that they harbor dissenting and divergent social and political views from that of the government.
http://gmcmissing.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/qambar-baloch-missing/
http://gmcmissing.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/qambar-baloch-goes-missing-ii/