On May 29, 2026, Pakistani security forces abducted Mehrab Khalid, a Baloch filmmaking student at the National College of Arts.

Security forces took Khalid and eight other classmates into custody during a raid in Lahore. Each of his classmates were released within a few hours but Khalid’s whereabouts remained unknown. Some sources indicated Khalid was released on June 8, 2026.

The abduction follows a pattern of enforced disappearances of Baloch activists, professionals, journalists, and students, often carried out by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, army, or Frontier Corps. Students are among the most commonly targeted of these groups.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the enforced disappearance of a university student. While state security forces have a responsibility to maintain security and safety, they must also respect international human rights standards, including by refraining from discriminatory actions against students based on their identities. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, the disappearance of students undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://x.com/voicepkdotnet/status/2061442012264415464?s=46&t=dOAjqFnMvAVUog9fBqfKlA
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/europe/paank-raises-alarm-over-enforced-disappearance-of-baloch-film-student-mehrab-khalid20260602153030/
https://www.thebalochnews.com/2025/02/27/writing-mehrab-khalid-the-emerging-baloch-filmmaker/
https://x.com/SammiBaluch/status/2060667425805513114
https://x.com/KiyyaBaloch/status/2064085446045417488