Mushtaq Ahmad released after alleged detention while travelling to AJK

Former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad was released on Thursday after his team alleged he had been detained for more than 24 hours after being denied entry into Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) by security personnel, claiming his detention was linked to his support for the ongoing protests in the region. In a statement posted on X, the administrator for Ahmad's official account announced, "Praise be to Allah! Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has been released." الحمدللہ!

سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان رہا کر دیے گئے غیر قانونی حراست کے بعد سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان آج عوام اور میڈیا سے اہم گفتگو کریں گے۔ اہم پریس کانفرنس 📅 30 جولائی 2026 🕑 دوپہر 2:00 بجے 📍 پاکستان رائٹس موومنٹ مرکزی سیکریٹریٹ، ایف ٹین مرکز اسلام آباد pic.twitter.com/TStRt89rm8 — Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan | سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان (@SenatorMushtaq) July 30, 2026 The statement further said that the former senator had been held in "illegal detention" and announced that he would "hold an important conversation with the public and media" at a press conference scheduled for 2pm on Thursday at the Pakistan Rights Movement Central Secretariat in Islamabad. The development came after clashes were reported between law enforcement personnel and the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) protesters in Rawalakot, with reports of multiple deaths and injuries circulating on social media. Both security forces and the JAAC claimed the loss of lives.

According to an earlier statement issued late on Wednesday night on his X account, the former senator was travelling to AJK on Tuesday "carrying white flags to express solidarity with the innocent people of Kashmir who have lost loved ones due to violence by security forces." The statement said he was stopped at Azad Pattan Bridge and denied entry into AJK before recording a protest and beginning his return journey to Islamabad. It alleged that at around 7:07pm, Punjab Police intercepted his vehicle at Kahuta Bazaar, where "Punjab Police stopped him... and forcibly took him away in his vehicle." URGENT INCIDENT REPORT Islamabad | 29 July 2026 Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan Abducted and Taken to an Undisclosed Location While Travelling to AJK On July 28, 2026, former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, accompanied by his team, set out for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) carrying… pic.twitter.com/QrHTTdUOtE — Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan | سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان (@SenatorMushtaq) July 2…