ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, who was aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla seized by Israeli forces this month, has left Jordan for the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, the Pakistani embassy said on Thursday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, an aid convoy carrying activists from several countries, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on October 1 while sailing toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance. The operation resulted in the detention of hundreds of participants, sparking protests in Pakistan and several countries.
The Pakistani ex-senator was among multiple Pakistani nationals on board the flotilla which departed from European ports carrying medical supplies and food for civilians in Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis has worsened amid months of Israeli bombardment and aid restrictions.
On Tuesday, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, said Khan had arrived at the Pakistani embassy in Amman, Jordan and was in “good health and high spirits”, adding that he would return on October 9.
“Senator Mushtaq Ahmad has safely departed for Pakistan,” the Pakistani embassy said on X. “In accordance with the instructions of the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Embassy of Pakistan in Amman ensured all necessary arrangements were made for his safe and smooth departure.”
Islamabad earlier thanked Jordan for their “exemplary cooperation and generous support” in this regard. Pakistan had already coordinated the safe return of several citizens who disembarked earlier, expressing gratitude to “brotherly countries” for assistance.
The flotilla incident drew international condemnation, with rights groups calling for the immediate release of detainees and renewed access for humanitarian aid to Gaza. The fleet consisted of 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
It was the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war that has killed over 65,000 Palestinians.
