State Trying to Coerce My Father to Regret His Lifelong Struggle: Mehlab Baloch

QUETTA: Mehlab Wahid Baloch, the daughter of senior Baloch pro-freedom leader Ustaad Wahid Kambar, has accused the state [Pakistan] of attempting to coerce her father into regretting his lifelong commitment to the Baloch cause.

In a post on the social media platform X, Mehlab expressed concern over her father’s well-being, saying that he is being held in a torture cell where he is subjected to both physical and mental abuse in an effort to break his resolve. She added that the state aims to make him regret his decades-long struggle for the rights and dignity of the Baloch people.

In her post, Mehlab Baloch wrote: “Wahid Kamber Baloch, a renowned political leader, has dedicated 50 years of his life to the Baloch cause. His unwavering commitment and sacrifices forced him to leave the country due to threats from the state. They have confined my father to their dark torture cells, attempting to break his spirit and make him regret his lifelong struggle. He is now fighting for his ideological survival in these oppressive dungeons. In an act of blatant disregard for justice and human rights, the state abducted him from another country, bypassing all legal procedures, and failed to present him before a court of law.

“These oppressive tactics reveal the state’s fear of an elderly man whose only crime is his lifelong struggle for the rights and dignity of his people. My father is a man of principle and unshakable resolve. While the state hopes to make him regret his struggle, they cannot erase the legacy of his sacrifices or the strength of his spirit. His ordeal serves as a grim reminder of the extremes to which oppressive regimes will go to suppress dissent and silence those who dare to dream of a better future. He must be presented to a court of justice and punished according to the law.”

Ustaad Wahid Kambar was abducted from Kerman, Iran, earlier this year. Activists and family members have said that Pakistani intelligence agencies were behind the kidnapping, though there is also growing belief among Baloch activists that Iran may have played a role in his abduction as well, possibly secretly handing him over to Pakistan.

Kambar’s abduction has drawn attention to the ongoing plight of Baloch activists, who have long faced persecution and violence at the hands of Iranian and Pakistani forces. His involvement in the struggle for the independence of Balochistan has made him a target for both Pakistan and Iran, two countries with vested interests in strengthening their occupations in Balochistan.

Baloch rights groups have rallied behind Kambar, demanding his immediate presentation before a court and an end to the systematic abuse faced by Baloch prisoners. They argue that his detention is part of a broader strategy to silence political dissent and undermine the Baloch liberation struggle.

Mehlab Kambar’s words highlight the harsh realities faced by Baloch political prisoners. Her call for justice serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle for human rights, justice, and freedom in Balochistan.

The fate of Wahid Kambar like thousands of other Baloch individuals who have been forcibly disappeared remains uncertain. However, Kambar’s family and the Baloch people continue to pressure state forces to release all abducted Baloch individuals, including him.