Save Gaza Campaign

Things have been tense in Pakistan lately. A bunch of politicians got arrested, including former Senator Musht Ahmad Khan. He was taken in during a protest about the violence in Gaza. Khan, who’s an important member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI), was caught up in the Save Gaza campaign.

Who is Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan?

Mushtaq Ahmad Khan is a well-known politician from Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. He’s been a Senator since 2018 and represents Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Born in Swabi, he got his master’s degree in Physics from the University of Peshawar. His political path started with Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, where he became Central President by 2002. Before he made it to the Senate, he was the Provincial President of Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As a senator, Khan has been super active in many committees like Defence & Inter-Provincial Coordination. Lately, he has taken charge of the Save Gaza campaign, which speaks out against violence affecting people living there. His arrest & quick release highlights how there’s always this push and pull between political activism & state control in Pakistan.

When was he arrested?

The police picked him up in Islamabad, along with social activist Humaira Tayyaba & other protesters at Express Chowk on September 1, 2024.

Why was he arrested?

This all went down because of Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code. This rule says you can’t have public gatherings unless you get permission first from local officials. The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration put this rule into action all over the city. They made it clear that any protest without permission is against the law.

But even with these rules, the Save Gaza demonstrators led by Mushtaq Ahmad Khan came together to show their support for the people of Gaza & to call for an end to the violence there. Over 20 folks ended up getting arrested for breaking this law.

When was he released?

Things shifted pretty fast. The next day on September 2, 2024, after talks between Jamaat-e-Islami leaders & officials, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, his wife, & a bunch of volunteers were let go from custody. Their quick release showed just how powerful JI is when negotiating things. It also looked like they wanted to calm down the rising political heat in the capital.