The passing of human rights activist Mama Qadeer Baloch, Vice Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, on December 20, marks the end of an era. Mama Qadeer’s peaceful resistance, long marches, and steadfastness against Pakistan’s atrocities in Balochistan will be a defining part of Baloch history. Fifteen years ago, Mama Qadeer and his colleagues initiated a peaceful struggle amidst widespread enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of political activists in Balochistan.
According to The Balochistan Post, Mama Qadeer, Farzana Majeed, Nasrullah Baloch, and their companions founded Voice for Baloch Missing Persons in 2009 during a peak of state repression in Balochistan. The movement began in response to an endless series of enforced disappearances of political activists and extrajudicial killings. Mama Qadeer’s son, Jalil Reki, was among the victims, whose death further fueled Mama Qadeer’s commitment to the cause.
On November 24, 2011, the bullet-riddled body of Mama Qadeer’s son was discovered in Balochistan. Despite this tragedy, Mama Qadeer continued his struggle and became a beacon of hope for others. He played a pivotal role in organizing movements for the recovery of the forcibly disappeared individuals. In 2013, amidst harsh conditions, Mama Qadeer and families of the disappeared undertook a historic two-thousand-kilometer long march on foot to draw global attention to the human rights crisis in Balochistan.
The series of long marches, sit-ins, and protests for justice spanned several years, despite facing threats, repression, and obstacles. Mama Qadeer’s home was attacked, relatives were disappeared, and he received death threats. However, he persevered, maintaining hope for the recovery of the disappeared for fifteen years. The Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department expressed deep sorrow over Mama Qadeer Baloch’s passing, hailing him as a symbol of resilience, dignity, and unwavering resistance against injustice.
