Former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has been released after Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) and the Pakistan Rights Movement (PRM) claimed that he had been taken into custody while returning from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In a post on his X account on Thursday, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan’s team said: “Alhamdulillah! Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has been released.” The post added that he would address the media later in the day at a press conference following what was described as his “illegal detention”.
Earlier, TTAP and PRM had alleged that Mushtaq, who heads the Pakistan Rights Movement and is associated with the opposition alliance’s platform, was abducted and taken to an undisclosed location after being denied entry into AJK.
According to the alliance, Mushtaq and his team set out for AJK on July 28 carrying white flags to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. They claimed he was stopped at the Azad Pattan Bridge and prevented from entering the territory, prompting him to record a formal protest before returning to Islamabad.
The alliance alleged that at about 7:07pm, Punjab Police intercepted Mushtaq’s vehicle at Kahuta Bazaar and took him away in his own vehicle. It further claimed that party members later traced him to Rawat Police Station on GT Road but were denied access to meet him.
PRM said the last communication it received from Mushtaq was at 12:26am on July 29. It said that senior officials from Rawalpindi were expected to meet him after that, but the group had no further information about his whereabouts until news of his release.
TTAP also said its team contacted Rawat Police Station at around 1:20am on July 29, where the Station House Officer (SHO) allegedly stated that he had no knowledge of Mushtaq’s whereabouts.
The opposition alliance and PRM had appealed to the federal and Punjab governments to ensure Mushtaq’s physical safety and secure his release.
Thursday’s announcement confirmed that he had been released and would soon make a public statement.
