Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan is set to return to Pakistan on October 9 after being released from detention in Israel, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday.
Dar, who returned from an official visit to Malaysia earlier in the day, said he had spoken to Senator Mushtaq via Pakistan’s ambassador in Amman.
“Senator Mushtaq is fine and in high spirits,” the prime minister said, lauding his courage for joining the Sumud Flotilla in support of the Palestinian cause.
He said the Foreign Office had coordinated with a friendly European country’s mission in Tel Aviv to reach out to the senator during his detention, while the Pakistan Embassy in Amman facilitated his stay and safety in Jordan.
Dar confirmed that arrangements had been made for Senator Mushtaq’s return to Pakistan on Thursday.
In his previous tweet, the foreign minister confirmed that Mushtaq had been released from Israeli detention and is now safely with the Pakistan Embassy in Amman.
The foreign minister confirmed the former senator is “in good health and high spirits.” He added that the embassy is prepared to facilitate the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader’s return to Pakistan, “in accordance with his wishes and convenience”.
DPM Dar also extended the government’s “gratitude to all our friendly countries who actively engaged and assisted” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in securing the release.
The JI leader was part of the flotilla, which set sail in late August, marking the latest attempt by rights activists to challenge the Israeli blockade of the territory where Israel has been waging a massive offensive. In Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, including a large number of women and children.
Israel had detained more than 450 activists, most of whom have been deported, participating in the flotilla seeking to break the Israeli siege of Gaza. The activists who returned from Israeli custody have told the world about the apartheid government’s mistreatment in detention, also that many activists were denied access to their lawyers.
A couple of Pakistani nationals, including a former Pakistani parliamentarian, were also in Israeli forces’ illegal custody.
A day ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had expressed the hope that the Pakistani officials, with the help of the Jordanian government, would be able to secure the release of the former JI senator from Israeli detention in a few days.
The development takes place days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded the return of Pakistanis held by Israeli forces, while also praising ex-senator Mushtaq and others.
“I commend the dignified participation of Pakistani citizens in the ‘Gaza Freedom Flotilla’. Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Mazhar Saeed Shah, Wajahat Ahmad, Dr Osama Riaz, Ismail Khan, Syed Aziz Nizami, and Fahad Ishtiaq, among other Pakistanis, took part in this great humanitarian mission in full accordance with the principles of human compassion,” PM Shehbaz had written on his X account.
Dogs released on us: Mushtaq
In a video statement from Amman, Mushtaq said he had reached Jordan along with his 150 companions. “We were released after detention of 5 to 6 days at the infamous Israeli jail in the Negev desert. We were shackled, blindfolded and handcuffed, dogs were released on us, and guns were pointed at our heads. We were subjected to the cruellest torture. We observed a hunger strike for three days for our demands to be met,” he said.
The former parliamentarian said they were deprived of access to anything, including air and medication.
“Alhamdulillah, we have been released, and the struggle for Palestine’s freedom will continue. We will break this siege and go again and again for that,” he vowed.
Mushtaq said he, along with others, would try to protect Gaza and bring the culprits committing the genocide to justice. “Resistance will continue from the Adiala jail to Israeli jails. We will continue to strive for Palestine’s freedom. I will soon return to Pakistan and tell you details of our journey and the conditions of Israeli prisons. But our struggle will continue till the liberation of Al-Aqsa, Palestine and till the end of Israel.”
Reacting to the news of Mushtaq’s freedom from Israeli detention, JI Amir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman condemned the treatment meted out to participants of the Sumud flotilla in Israeli jails.
“The movement for the liberation of Palestine has now become an international movement that Israel and its patron America cannot stop. Palestine, Insha’Allah, will surely be liberated,” he wrote.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.