Islamabad, October 5, 2025: Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed on Saturday that former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan is in the custody of Israeli occupying forces after being detained aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted en route to Gaza earlier this week.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the Foreign Office said that confirmation of Khan’s safety had been received through diplomatic channels in a “friendly European country.”
“We have been advised that, in accordance with local procedures, Mr. Ahmad will be presented before a court. Upon the issuance of deportation orders, his repatriation will be facilitated on a fast-track basis,” the statement read.
According to the ministry, steps are also underway to ensure the safe return of other individuals who disembarked from the flotilla during its initial phase.
Mushtaq Ahmad Khan was leading a five-member Pakistani delegation aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian aid mission carrying medical and food supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. The flotilla—comprising over 40 vessels and some 500 parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists from various countries—was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on October 2.
Videos circulated on the flotilla’s official Telegram channels showed passengers displaying their passports and asserting that they had been “abducted and taken to Israel against their will,” while emphasizing the peaceful and humanitarian nature of their mission.
Following the arrest, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said on X that he had spoken to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to “accelerate efforts” for Khan’s release. Rehman added that the prime minister informed him that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had been tasked with overseeing the matter.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Karachi and across Sindh on Friday to denounce the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla. Demonstrations were held in major towns after JI called for a nationwide protest day, condemning what it described as “state piracy” against humanitarian activists.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, widely seen as the latest symbol of international opposition to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, drew global attention as it sailed across the Mediterranean. Several countries, including Turkey, Spain, and Italy, had deployed boats or drones to monitor its journey and ensure the safety of their nationals.
Israel’s interception of the flotilla has reignited diplomatic tensions and public outrage across Muslim-majority countries, with aid groups calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
