Former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, has safely returned to Islamabad after being released from Israeli custody. He was detained for several weeks after joining the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian mission that tried to take aid to Gaza.
The Pakistani Embassy in Jordan and the Foreign Ministry helped arrange his return. He arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday, where government officials and party members welcomed him at the airport.
After landing, Mushtaq Ahmad spoke to the media and described his difficult time in prison. He said Israeli authorities kept him and other detainees in harsh conditions inside Ketzi’ot Prison in the Negev desert. “We were blindfolded, handcuffed, and denied food, water, and medical care,” he said. “We even went on a hunger strike to protest this treatment.”
He explained that their mission was peaceful and only aimed to deliver humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza, who are suffering under the long blockade.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Pakistan had worked with Jordan and international partners to secure Ahmad’s release. In his statement, Dar said, “Senator Mushtaq Ahmad is safe and back home. We thank the Jordanian government for its support.”
Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami praised his return, calling him a “symbol of courage and truth” and saying his efforts showed Pakistan’s strong support for the Palestinian people.
