'Dogs were set upon us': Ex-Pakistani Senator details torture in Israeli jail

AMMAN (Dunya News) – Former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has described harrowing details of his detention in an Israeli prison after being released from custody and reaching the Pakistan embassy in Amman, Jordan.

In his first video message since his release, Mushtaq vowed that the struggle for Palestine’s freedom would continue “from Adiala Jail to Israeli jails”.

مشتاق احمد خان صاحب اسرائیلی جیل سے رہا ہو کر اردن پہنچ گئے۔

ان کا پیغام ہے کہ اڈیالہ سے لے کر اسرائیلی جیل تک مزاحمت جاری رہے گی

(ایڈمن) pic.twitter.com/gJi6zXFUTZ

— Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan | سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان (@SenatorMushtaq) October 7, 2025

Speaking about his time in captivity, he said, “Our hands were cuffed behind our backs, our feet shackled, our eyes blindfolded, and dogs were set upon us. Guns were pointed at us, and we were subjected to brutal torture.” He added that detainees were denied access to air, drinking water, and medication, forcing them into a three-day hunger strike. “We have been freed, but the fight for Palestinian freedom will continue,” he declared.

Global Sumud Flotilla raid

Mushtaq led the Pakistani delegation aboard the 45-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which departed from Spain last month with aid for Gaza. The flotilla comprised around 500 activists and human rights advocates from various countries, including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. However, as it neared Gaza, Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessels and detained those on board before deporting them.

The former senator revealed that he spent nearly six days in an Israeli jail, enduring what he called “mental and physical torment”. He was later released alongside his companions and has since arrived in Jordan, where he intends to return to Pakistan shortly.

Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed released by Israel, confirms Ishaq Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on Tuesday that Mushtaq had been released and was “in good health and high spirits” after reaching the Pakistan embassy in Amman. “The embassy stands ready to facilitate his return to Pakistan at his wish,” Dar said in a post on X. He expressed gratitude to friendly countries, especially Jordan, for their “active engagement and generous support”.

The Foreign Office (FO) earlier stated that it had been in constant coordination with international partners to ensure the safety and swift repatriation of Pakistanis detained by Israel. It noted that legal procedures for Mushtaq’s deportation were expedited with Jordan’s assistance.

Pakistan, along with several other countries, condemned Israel’s “dastardly attack” on the humanitarian flotilla. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called for the immediate release of all detainees and personally assured JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman that the government was working to bring Mushtaq and other nationals home safely.