University of Gwadar vice chancellor among four missing in Balochistan

Four people, including the vice chancellor of the University of Gwadar, have gone missing while traveling from Gwadar to Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province.

Deputy Commissioner Mastung Behram Saleem confirmed their disappearance, with their last known location traced to Khad Kocha in Mastung district.

Who is the University of Gwadar vice chancellor who went missing?

The missing individuals are Vice Chancellor Professor Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Syed Manzoor Ahmed, a lecturer named Shakeel and their driver. The group was traveling in an official government vehicle when contact was lost. As of the latest reports, no communication has been established with any of the four.

Where were the Gwadar University officials last seen?

According to Saleem, the group departed from the coastal city of Gwadar and was headed to Quetta when they went missing. Their last known location was near Khad Kocha in Mastung district. Authorities have launched a search operation, with district administration officials and security agencies both investigating the incident.

What has the HEC said about the Gwadar University vice chancellor's disappearance?

Higher Education Commission Chairman Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said he was "deeply concerned" over reports that the vice chancellor and members of his academic team had been abducted near Mastung. He urged Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti to take "immediate and effective measures" to ensure the safe recovery of the missing individuals. Akhtar posted the statement on X.

The HEC chairman described the incident as a matter of grave concern for Pakistan's higher education sector and the wider academic community. He appealed to authorities to prioritize urgent action and called the disappearance of a university head "profoundly alarming." Efforts to locate the officials were continuing as concern grew over their whereabouts.

Why is Balochistan a security concern for travelers?

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, has faced long-running security challenges, including militant attacks and enforced disappearance allegations. Key highways linking major districts have been frequent sites of such incidents. The disappearance of the Gwadar University vice chancellor and his colleagues adds to a pattern of troubling cases in the province.