Balochistan Home Department Official Babar Yousafzai Confirms Safe Return; PSO and Driver Also Released Near Mastung; Victims Stable but Recovering From Trauma
The Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Gwadar, along with two other staff members, have been safely recovered and reunited with their families, 10 days after they were abducted from the Quetta-Karachi National Highway near Mastung. Babar Yousafzai, assistant to the Balochistan Home Department, and local police commands have officially confirmed the safe recovery.
The Abduction at Khad Koocha and Successful Recovery
The high-profile academic officials went missing on May 14 while traveling from the coastal city of Gwadar to the provincial capital, Quetta. The provincial interior ministry later confirmed that they had been intercepted and kidnapped by unidentified armed men near the Khad Koocha area of Mastung.
According to the Mastung Police, all four individuals—including Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Syed Manzoor Ahmad, Personal Staff Officer (PSO) Dr. Irshad Buledi, and driver Hatim Badal—were recovered from within the territorial limits of the Mastung district.
Current Status and Academic Profile of the Victims
The Vice Chancellor safely reached his residence on Sunday evening. Family sources confirmed that while all recovered individuals are in stable physical health, they are currently not in a position to give statements or speak with the media due to the post-abduction stress.
Institutional Impact: Prof. Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir was appointed as the foundational Vice Chancellor of the University of Gwadar by the Government of Balochistan on October 25, 2021. Assuming charge on October 29, 2021, he has led the institution for nearly four years.
Originally launched in January 2017 as a sub-campus of the University of Turbat, the institution was upgraded to a fully autonomous varsity on October 25, 2021. Today, the University of Gwadar caters to over 2,000 students across two major fields: the Faculty of Management Sciences, Commerce & Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering & Technology. Academic bodies across Balochistan have expressed immense relief over their safe return while urging the state to scale up security protocols for educators.