Campaign Launched for Safe Return of Missing Baloch Journalist Rashid Hussain

Human rights activists and Baloch leaders have launched a social media campaign to demand the safe return of Rashid Hussain Brohi, a Baloch journalist and human rights activist who has been missing since his alleged abduction from Dubai in 2018.

Exiled Pakistani journalist and activist Taha Siddiqui announced the campaign on Twitter, stating: "#SaveRashidHussain who was abducted from Dubai almost 6 years ago. He was then extradited to Pakistan. An appeal to everyone on my list to raise their voice for #RashidHussain and demand that the Pakistani military release him!"

In a video statement, Siddiqui mentioned that the campaign would run from 7 pm to 12 am Pakistan Time, urging international human rights defenders to unite and pressure the Pakistani administration to ensure Hussain's safe return.

"Rashid Hussain is a Baloch individual who has been missing since December 2018. He was arrested from Dubai and later handed over to Pakistan's government. There is evidence that he was brought to Pakistan, but his whereabouts have been unknown ever since," Siddiqui said.

Joining the campaign, Prof. Nida Kirmani from Lahore University of Management Sciences shared a video on X, emphasizing, "Let's demand Rashid Hussain's release. His family deserves to know his whereabouts, and they deserve to have Rashid safely reunited with them."

Amnesty International, a prominent human rights organization, has previously raised concerns about Hussain's abduction. In February 2019, the group stated that there were "strong indications" that UAE authorities were preparing to deport or extradite Hussain to Pakistan, where he was involved in Baloch activism prior to moving to the Emirates, potentially putting his life in danger.

In July 2019, Amnesty International accused the UAE of forcibly deporting Rashid Hussain Brohi to Pakistan, stating, "The deportation places his life in danger in Pakistan, due to his ethnicity, and is, therefore, an unlawful forced return."

The campaign to secure Hussain's release highlights the plight of missing persons in Pakistan, particularly those from the Baloch community, and the ongoing struggle for human rights and accountability in the region.

Human rights groups and activists are calling for concerted efforts to pressure Pakistani authorities to disclose Hussain's whereabouts and ensure his safe return to his family.