‘Hafiz Naeem forced me to abandon Save Gaza Campaign:’ ex-senator Mushtaq Ahmed

Former Jamaat-e-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan has revealed that he received no response from his party after submitting his resignation during the Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza.

In a recent interview after his release from Israeli detention, he stated that his decision came from deep disappointment in the party’s disinterest while he led the flotilla delegation. 

Ahmed said he gave his resignation while on the flotilla on the 19th September 2025, but the party (JI) never acknowledged or processed it. He said he felt like he was on “a risky mission” and had expected at least a message of support or caution from the leadership. 

In his words: “If Jamaat-e-Islami didn’t want to accept my resignation, they could have at least sent me a message saying, brother Mushtaq, you’re on a risky mission, forget about resignation for now, just return safely, we will discuss internal matters once you’re back home. But the party had already made its decision.’’

His resignation to the party came after a career with JI that included serving as a senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2018 to 2024 and then leading Pakistan’s delegation on the Sumud flotilla, a humanitarian effort to break Israel’s siege of Gaza.

“I had to abandon the Save Gaza Campaign at the insistence of Hafiz Naeem. He warned me to end the movement; otherwise, I would face action,” he revealed.

He further added that due to party pressure, “I stopped attending programs of Manzoor Pashteen and Mahrang Baloch.”

“Still, they did not accept me. The most evident sign of estrangement was that they did not allow me to participate in the Global Sumud Flotilla, even though I had secured three seats for Pakistan on the mission,” Ahmed added.

In earlier statements, Ahmed clarified there was no personal grudge with JI’s leadership, but rather a desire to work independently for human rights and activism. 

He further added that he needed an independent political space to strive for causes like media freedom, constitutional rights, and the Palestinian struggle.

The latest revelations signal internal displeasure within JI over its Mushtaq Ahmed's activism as he was ignored by his party leadership while facing detention in Israel.