Pak Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Arrested as Gaza Flotilla Intercepted
Pakistani Senator Arrested as Global Flotilla Faces Israeli Interception
Islamabad/Jerusalem – The Pak-Palestine Forum confirmed Thursday that former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, leading a delegation aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, has been arrested by Israeli forces.
The flotilla, made up of around 45 boats carrying humanitarian aid, politicians, and international activists — among them Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg — set sail from Spain last month. Its mission: to challenge Israel’s longstanding naval blockade of Gaza, where the UN has warned of famine and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Israeli naval units intercepted several of the vessels after warning them against entering waters under its declared blockade. Thunberg’s boat was among those stopped.
Despite the interceptions, flotilla organizers insisted the mission was not over. In a post on X early Thursday, they reported:
“Thirty boats still sailing strong on their way to Gaza, just 46 nautical miles away, despite incessant aggressions from the Israeli occupation navy.”
In Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sharply condemned the arrests and what he called a “dastardly attack” on the flotilla. He said more than 450 humanitarian workers from 44 countries had been on board.
“The crime of these humanitarian workers is only that they were carrying food and medicine for the hapless people of Gaza,” Sharif said in a statement on X, demanding their immediate release. He urged the international community to ensure aid is allowed to reach Palestinians, saying, “This barbarity must end. Peace must be given a chance.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which includes Italian parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists, has continued its voyage despite repeated Israeli warnings. Organizers say the mission is strictly humanitarian, aimed at delivering medicine and food to Gaza.
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