Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Tuesday that former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan is scheduled to return to Pakistan on October 9.
Ahmad, a leader belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was among several individuals detained earlier this month after Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The 45-ship flotilla, carrying activists and political figures, departed from Spain last month with an aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of an impending famine.
In an X post, Dar wrote that on arrival in Islamabad from Malaysia, he had just spoken over the phone with the ex-senator through Pakistan’s ambassador in Amman.
“Senator Mushtaq is fine and in high spirits. I lauded the courage and steadfastness of Senator Mushtaq for being part of the Sumud Flotilla in support of the Palestinian cause, to break the siege to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
Ahmad “thanked for the efforts made by the Pakistan Foreign Office in reaching out to him in Tel Aviv, Israel, through a friendly European Country’s mission there and for the full support and facilitation for his stay and safety in Amman by [the] Pakistan Embassy,” Dar added.
Ex-senator recounts ordeal in Israeli custody
The former senator has described the mistreatment he faced while being held in Israeli custody following his detention aboard the Gaza aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces last week.
In a video message released after his release, Ahmad said he was imprisoned at Ketziot Prison, also known as Ansar III, a high-security facility in Israel’s Negev desert.
“I was subjected to torture. My eyes were blindfolded, guns were pointed at us,” he said. “I went on a hunger strike, and there was no access to air, drinking water, or medication by Israeli forces,” the former senator said, recounting his experience.
The former senator, who is now in Jordan under the care of the Pakistan Embassy in Amman, said he would soon return to Pakistan and share more details about his time in detention. “We will continue the struggle for the freedom of Palestine,” he added.
