June 1, 2026
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
In a rented house in Lahore’s historic Anarkali neighbourhood, a group of art students had gathered on the evening of May 29 to work on a college project. Among them was Mehrab Khalid — 21 years old, from Turbat in Balochistan’s Kech district, and a second-semester student of filmmaking at the prestigious National College of Arts (NCA). He never came home that night.
According to classmates and student activists, Mehrab was among nine people forcibly taken from the house that evening. Most of his companions were released shortly after. Mehrab was not among them. As of June 1 — three days later — his family, nearly 1,000 kilometres away in Turbat, still does not know where he is, who took him, or why.
“The students and mates told us he was taken away along with eight other fellows from a friend’s house in Anarkali,” Mehraj Khalid, Mehrab’s elder brother told Voicepk while speaking on the phone from Turbat
Mehraj Khalid, the family’s sole breadwinner, works as a lecturer at a college in Turbat. Mehraj says he learned of his brother’s disappearance not from authorities, but from fellow Baloch students based in Lahore. He contacted the NCA’s dean, who assured him the institution would take up the matter with local authorities. Beyond that assurance, the family has received nothing.
Police refuse to register a case
When Mehrab’s friends attempted to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the local police, they were turned away. Officers refused to register the complaint, leaving the family and student groups with no formal legal avenue through the police.
The Baloch Students Council Punjab, which is supporting Mehrab’s family, says it is now exploring the option of filing a habeas corpus petition in the Lahore High Court — a legal recourse typically used when someone is detained without lawful justification.
Israr Marri, head of the Baloch Students Council Punjab, confirmed the sequence of events. On the night of May 29, Mehrab and some classmates were at a friend’s house to work on a project when they were detained. Most were released. Mehrab was not.
Family says no ties to any banned organisation
Mehrab Khalid is one of seven siblings — four brothers and three sisters. His elder brother Mehraj describes a family with no ties to any banned organisation, and a young man motivated purely by a passion for cinema and storytelling. Mehrab had left Turbat to pursue a degree at one of Pakistan’s most respected art schools. “My elderly parents and siblings are extremely worried about Mehrab’s abduction and are praying for his safe recovery,” Mehraj Khalid added.
The Baloch Students Council Punjab, in a statement issued on May 31, captured the painful irony at the heart of the case. “A young man who was searching for the fulfillment of his dreams through a camera and a pen today finds himself in an uncertain situation,” the statement read. “Keeping any family in the pain of not even knowing about the well-being of their child is a very painful situation.”
A pattern of fear
Nasrullah Baloch, chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), said Mehrab’s case fits a deeply troubling pattern. “Enforced disappearances of students are not only a violation of basic human rights but also a serious threat to the educational environment and freedom of expression,” he said. The VBMP, which documents cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and beyond, has added Mehrab’s name to its register of concern.
Another student organisation, Voice of Baloch Students (VOBS), also condemned the abduction and urged authorities to take urgent notice of the case and work towards Mehrab’s safe release.
Both groups, along with the Baloch Students Council Punjab, have appealed to human rights organisations, lawyers, journalists, and civil society to raise their voices on Mehrab’s behalf.
As of the time of writing, no official statement has been issued by any law enforcement agency regarding Mehrab Khalid’s detention or whereabouts. The NCA has not made a public comment.