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Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Released, Now With Pakistani Embassy in Amman — Ishaq Dar

By Mashal Khan

ISLAMABAD— Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan has been released and is now safe at the Pakistani Embassy in Amman, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday.

Dar said Mushtaq is in good health and high spirits, and that the embassy stands ready to facilitate his return to Pakistan at his convenience.

He also thanked friendly countries that engaged with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry to secure the release.

In a video message recorded after his arrival in Amman, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan described harsh conditions during several days of detention in Israel. “I, together with 150 companions, have reached Jordan,” he said. “After spending five or six days in Israeli detention, we were released.”

Mushtaq said detainees were handcuffed with their hands behind their backs, had chains or fetters placed on their feet, and were threatened at gunpoint.

He said they were subjected to torture by Israeli forces , including being denied drinking water, medication and adequate ventilation.

He added that the group staged a three-day hunger strike to press their demands. In his account, Mushtaq also alleged physical abuse by guards and said dogs were used against detainees.

“We had no access to drinking water, medication, or adequate ventilation,” he said in the message, calling the facility “notorious.”

He reiterated his commitment to non-violent efforts to end the Gaza blockade and to deliver humanitarian aid, and urged that any alleged abuses be investigated and those responsible held to account.

Mushtaq said he would return to Pakistan soon to provide a fuller account of the ordeal.

The Pakistani Embassy in Amman has been coordinating consular assistance for Mushtaq and other nationals, and Islamabad said it remains engaged with international partners to secure the safety and release of its citizens detained abroad.

According to the detainees, during their illegal detention, Israeli authorities used force against the activists, subjected them to torture, and denied them food and water. They were kept in a notorious desert prison where Israel routinely uses violence against detainees.