DPM/FM Dar says Saad Edhi safely released from Israeli detention

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday announced that Pakistani humanitarian worker Saad Edhi had been released after being detained by Israeli forces while aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla.
In a post on X, Dar said Saad Edhi and other detained humanitarian workers had safely arrived in Istanbul following coordinated diplomatic efforts.
He expressed gratitude to the government of Türkiye for facilitating their safe return and termed the detention and treatment of humanitarian workers by Israeli occupation forces as deeply condemnable and totally unacceptable.
The deputy prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s continued support for the Palestinian people.
Earlier, in a statement issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson, Pakistan had strongly condemned the unlawful interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israeli occupying forces in the international waters as well as the arbitrary detention and reported mistreatment of humanitarian workers onboard.
Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that as detainees also reportedly include Pakistani humanitarian activist Saad Edhi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was making efforts through Pakistan’s mission in Jordan for his release.
The spokesperson said that the ministry remained in close contact with Pakistani diplomatic missions in the region to ensure the safe return of any detained Pakistani nationals.
He reiterated Pakistan’s demand for the immediate release of all illegally detained activists, besides calling on the international community to ensure the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of those detained.
Andrabi said that on May 19, in a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives, Spain also condemned the renewed Israeli assaults against the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people. They had also called for the immediate release of all detained activists, as well as for full respect for their rights and dignity.