��������

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Saturday former senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who was aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces this week, is in Israeli custody but safe and in good health.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, an aid convoy carrying activists from several countries, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday as it sailed toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance and call for an end to the blockade of the enclave. The operation led to the detention of hundreds of participants, triggering protests in multiple countries, including Pakistan, and diplomatic appeals for their release.

The Pakistani government has said several of its nationals were on board the flotilla, which departed from European ports with medical supplies and food for civilians in Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis has deepened amid months of Israeli bombardment and aid blockades.

“Through the diplomatic channels of a friendly European country, we have confirmed that former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad is in the custody of the Israeli occupying forces and is safe and in good health,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It added that Ahmad would be presented before a court under local legal procedures and that, once deportation orders were issued, his return would be arranged on a “fast-track basis.”

The ministry said Pakistan had already coordinated the safe return of several citizens who disembarked earlier and expressed gratitude to “brotherly countries” that assisted in those efforts. 

It said the government “remains committed to the protection of all its citizens abroad” and expects the repatriation process to conclude in the coming days.

The flotilla incident has drawn international condemnation, with rights groups calling for the immediate release of detainees and renewed access for humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

MUZAFFARABAD: Shops reopened and mobile services resumed in Azad Kashmir’s capital on Saturday after days of violent anti-government protests ended under a deal between demonstrators and authorities.

The agreement followed nearly a week of unrest led by traders and civil rights groups demanding better public services and subsidies in the disputed region that is part of the larger Himalayan valley of Kashmir claimed by both India and Pakistan. 

Thousands had taken to the streets in Muzaffarabad and nearby towns, calling for reforms in electricity pricing and government spending. Clashes between protesters and security forces left at least six civilians and three police officers dead, officials said.

Kashmir, divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947, has a long history of political discontent. In the latest protests, demonstrators accused local leaders in Azad Kashmir of neglecting health, education and infrastructure while prioritizing perks for officials. Under the agreement that ended the unrest, Islamabad pledged new projects wort $35 million to upgrade electricity supplies and other public services.

“Our demands have been accepted, and this is the result of our long struggle,” said Choudhury Rafiqe Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Muzaffarabad.

“Most of our issues have been resolved, and this has been made possible by the grace of Allah. Even though we suffered losses in our businesses along the way, we have no regrets, because what has been achieved is in the interest of the nation, and we are proud of it.”

Another resident, Shujat Kazmi, said the movement had exposed the disconnect between political elites and ordinary citizens and praised the Joint Awami Action Committee civil alliance that led the protests. 

“The Awami Action Committee is the only force that truly represents the people,” he said. “Political parties have become irrelevant because they have abandoned their original agenda. They were engaged in self-serving politics, flattering the ruling elite, and pursuing personal gains instead of speaking for the public.”

He said it was only the Awami Action Committee and the people who took matters into their own hands. 

“The people had, in a way, sparked a new revolution,” Kazmi said. 

Officials said calm had returned to Muzaffarabad as roads were cleared, businesses reopened, and communication lines restored. The government said it would continue talks with community representatives to prevent a repeat of the unrest.