On May 12, 2026, Vice Chancellor Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir and Pro-Vice Chancellor Syed Manzoor Ahmed of the University of Gwadar went missing.

Dr. Sabir and Mr. Ahmed, along with a third university employee and their driver, had left for Quetta earlier that morning. En route, they lost contact after their mobile phones were switched off. Local sources suggested that armed men on motorcycles abducted the group, and police officials said that kidnapping remained a possibility.

Security forces launched a search operation, raiding suspected locations to secure the safe recovery of the university officials and their companions. By May 24, 2026, relatives confirmed that a security operation recovered the men after twelve days.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the temporary disappearance of academics. State authorities should take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of scholars, students, and staff, including by investigating and holding perpetrators of such acts responsible, in line with international human rights standards. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, kidnappings that seem to target members of the higher education community undermine the conditions needed for the meaningful exercise of the right to education and academic freedom.

Sources:
https://www.dawn.com/news/2000200
https://www.dawn.com/news/2002789https://organiser.org/2026/05/15/353539/world/balochistan-gwadar-university-vice-chancellor-among-4-abducted-in-mastung-by-armed-men/
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2608043/search-underway-after-gwadar-university-vc-pro-vice-chancellor-go-missing-in-balochistans-mastung https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/05/14/university-of-gwadar-vice-chancellor-pro-vice-chancellor-go-missing-enroute-quetta
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2-academicians-go-missing-in-balochistan-search-efforts-underway-11494260
https://balochistanpulse.com/university-of-gwadar-vice-chancellor-recovered-mastung-balochistan/