Islamabad, May 17, 2026
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the sharp deterioration in security in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where residents were increasingly caught between enforced disappearances, targetted killings and militant attacks.
It stated that the alleged kidnapping of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and two other Gwadar University employees in Mastung, while travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, sparks questions about the state’s ability to secure major highways and protect residents.
In a statement posted on X, HRCP stated, “HRCP is deeply alarmed by the sharp deterioration in security across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where citizens are increasingly caught between enforced disappearances, targeted killings, and militant attacks.”
“In Balochistan, the alleged abduction of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, and two other Gwadar University employees in Mastung, while travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, raises serious questions about the state’s ability to secure major highways and protect civilians. HRCP is equally disturbed by the killing of Professor Ghamkhwar Hayat in Noshki earlier today and reminds the government that when teachers and academics are abducted or shot dead, the consequences extend far beyond individual tragedies,” it added.
According to the statement shared by HRCP on X, the deadly attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, Bajaur, and Lakki Marwat highlight worsening pattern of militant violence that continues to take lives indiscriminately.
“In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, deadly attacks in Bannu, Bajaur, and Lakki Marwat, including the bombing of a crowded market in Sarai Naurang, point to a worsening pattern of militant violence that continues to take lives indiscriminately, including those of civilians, police officers and security personnel,” HRCP posted on X.
“We urge the state to move beyond statements of condemnation and demonstrate that human life and public spaces can still be protected. The recovery of the missing university officials, credible investigations into all such attacks, and accountability for perpetrators are immediate and necessary first steps,” it added.
On Saturday, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, mentioned that Ghamkhwar Hayat, a prominent poet, literary scholar, and educator, was reportedly shot dead by individuals linked to Pakistan-backed death squads in the Killi Mengal area of Nushki district.
The rights body expressed deep concern over the repeated attacks on intellectuals, educators, poets, and civilians in the province.
Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), said that the targeted killing of Hayat was not an isolated incident but part of the ongoing Baloch genocide and the collective punishment against the people of Balochistan.
“By targeting scholars and voices of awareness, the aim is to destroy the intellectual and cultural foundation of the Baloch nation. But such acts of brutality cannot erase the truth or silence a people struggling for dignity, justice, and freedom,” said the Baloch activist.(Agency)
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