QUETTA: Leaders of Academic Staff Associations of Balochistan University, while expressing serious concern over non-recovery of kidnapped top officials of Gwadar University, on Monday announced that a black day would be observed on Tuesday (today) and protest rallies would be held on Wednesday at 11am in all universities across the province.

Vice Chancellor of Gwadar University Prof Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir, pro-VC Dr Syed Manzoor Ahmed, lecturer Dr Irshad Ahmed and their staff members were kidnapped five days ago from the highway in Mastung district while on their way to Quetta.

In a joint statement, leaders of the Academic Staff Association of University of Balochistan, and the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa), Balochistan chapter, said that despite the passage of five days, the abducted top officials of the University of Gwadar have not been recovered by the government, causing serious concern among teachers and students of all universities of Balochistan.

All university faculty members in Balochistan have been urged to participate actively in the black day and protest rallies along with students and employees under the platform of their respective academic staff associations.

They demanded the government ensure immediate recovery of the vice chancellor, pro-VC, lecturer, and their colleagues.

They said that in the past, several teachers had been repeatedly targeted and several faculty members had been martyred and others forcibly disappeared.

The statement noted that recently Prof Dilawar Khan of the Khuzdar campus of the University of Balochistan was martyred and similarly a few days ago Prof Ghamkhwar Hayat was martyred in Nushki.

The leaders of the two associations said that these tragic incidents have created a serious sense of insecurity among the teaching and other staff of all universities of Balochistan and such incidents were leaving a highly negative impact on the entire education system of the province.

The statement demanded the government provide security to all teachers, students and the general public, improve law and order situation, and ensure immediate recovery of all abducted officials.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2026