Rights activist Abdul Qadeer Baloch passes away

Baloch rights activist Abdul Qadeer Baloch passed away on Saturday in a local hospital after a prolonged illness.

He was the vice chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) rights group, which established a camp years ago on Quetta’s Adalat Road, a site that has long been a symbol of protest against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. 

VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch confirmed the rights activist’s death saying that he had been ill for a long time and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Quetta for the past two months. 

The group’s chairman added that the funeral prayers and burial would be performed on Sunday in Shaheed Sikanderabad district. Baloch said the deceased’s struggle had remained prominent in human rights circles across the country. 

In 2013, the activist led a long march on foot from Quetta to Islamabad, joined by other Baloch men and women, to protest against enforced disappearances.

Since its inception, VBMP has raised its voice against the enforced disappearances of students, political activists and other civilians. 

Reporter: Essa Tareen