The Foreign Office on Monday announced it is “working tirelessly” to secure the safe evacuation of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan through its embassy in Amman, Jordan.
Khan, a former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senator, was detained last week as he was leading the Pakistani delegation on the Global Sumud Flotilla. As the flotilla approached Gaza, it was intercepted by Israel, which detained all activists onboard and prevented them from delivering aid to the war-torn region.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, through its embassy in Amman, is working tirelessly to secure the safe evacuation of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan,” read the Foreign Office statement. “With the invaluable assistance of the Jordanian government, we are hopeful that the process can be successfully concluded within the next couple of days,” it added.
The statement also expressed deep gratitude to the “brotherly” government of Jordan for “their exemplary cooperation and generous support.” A day earlier, the Foreign Office had said it was availing the “diplomatic channels” of a “friendly” European country and had confirmed that Mushtaq was “safe and in good health” in the custody of Israeli forces.
“We have been further advised that, in accordance with local legal procedures, [former] senator Mushtaq will be presented before a court. Upon the issuance of deportation orders, his repatriation will be facilitated on a fast-track basis,” it said.
Pakistan had joined a chorus of global condemnations for Israel’s “dastardly attack” on the flotilla. In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called for the release of all those detained by Israel. “We hope and pray for the safety of all those who have been illegally apprehended by Israeli forces and call for their immediate release,” he wrote in a post on X.
He also commended the “dignified participation” of all Pakistani activists, including Mushtaq, in the humanitarian mission.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif called JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman last week and assured him the government was actively engaged in efforts to secure the safe return of all Pakistani nationals, including the former senator.