A recently freed Pakistani lawmaker, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, has described a brutal six-day ordeal in an Israeli jail, alleging he and other activists were subjected to severe torture, including being attacked by dogs and electrocuted, following their detention on a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
In a video statement issued after his release, the former senator recounted the harrowing experience. “Alhamdulillah, I have been released and arrived in Jordan. However, during detention, Israeli forces subjected us to severe torture,” Khan stated. “We were imprisoned for six days in Israel’s notorious jail, where dogs were unleashed on us, electric shocks were given through our feet, and we were deprived of water.”
Khan detailed that the detainees endured significant physical and psychological torment, which compelled them to initiate a three-day hunger strike in protest. Despite the ordeal, he remained defiant in his cause.
“After five to six days in custody, I, along with 150 companions, was released,” he said. “Our struggle will not stop until the perpetrators of genocide are held accountable and Gaza is freed. We will continue until the end of Israeli occupation and the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
His release was officially confirmed by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Khan was in “good health and high spirits” at the Pakistan Embassy in Oman. Dar thanked friendly nations that assisted Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry in securing the lawmaker’s freedom.
Khan was among nearly 200 peace activists, including prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg, apprehended by Israeli forces. They were part of the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’, a convoy of 13 boats carrying humanitarian supplies for Gaza.
The Israeli Navy surrounded the flotilla about 70 nautical miles off the coast, seizing the vessels. Commandos boarded two boats, the Alma and Cyrus, and took all individuals on board into custody before transferring them to an Israeli port.
During his captivity, the Pakistan Foreign Office had stated it was working “round the clock” through its embassy in Jordan to ensure his safe return, expressing gratitude to the Jordanian government for its valuable cooperation.