Mushtaq Ahmad Khan

Mushtaq Ahmad Khan (born 3 March 1974) is a Pakistani politician and political activist who has been the chairman of the Pakistan Rights Movement since 10 January 2026. He was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami and served as a member of the Senate of Pakistan representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from March 2018 to March 2024.

He was arrested by the Israel Defense Forces on October 2, 2025, and released five days later on October 7.

In January 2026, Khan announced the formation of a new political party, the Pakistan Rights Movement (PRM), at a founding ceremony in Islamabad. The party was presented as an Islamic and democratic platform committed to reforming the country in accordance with the 1973 Constitution, which it said upholds Islamic principles and guarantees citizens’ rights.

Early life and education Khan was born on 3 March 1974 in Sheikh Jana, a village located in the Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Khan did his matriculation from the Government High School in Swabi and later did his Masters in Physics from the University of Peshawar. He took his oath as Senator on 12 March 2018.

In February 2021, when a video about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members taking bribes for Senate elections was leaked, a sub-committee was formed to investigate the matter. The committee consisted of Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry and Mirza Shahzad Akbar. Khan was amongst four members who were summoned to explain their position as to how they won Senate elections.

In October 2021 he was elected as President of Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter for the third time consecutively. After his resignation as Provincial President of the Party in April 2022 due to his increased involvement in the Senate of Pakistan, he was succeeded by Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.

During his tenure as senator, he has been a member of at least 6 sub-committees of the houses including: "Devolution (Chairperson Committee)", "Select Committee on The Islamabad Capital Territory Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2020", "Cabinet Secretariat", "House Business Advisory Committee", "Defence", "Inter-Provincial Coordination", "Federal Education and Professional Training", and "Parliamentary Committee to Protect Minorities from Forced Conversions".

In February 2022 he was declared amongst the top 5 senators that spoke on the floor of the senate.

His term as a senator ended in March 2024, along with that of 51 other lawmakers.

He has participated in Pashtun Tahafuz Movement gatherings, including the Pashtun National Jirga.

Founding the PRM In January 2026, he announced the launch of a new political party, the Pakistan Rights Movement (PRM). The party was presented as an Islamic-democratic political platform advocating governance rooted in the 1973 Constitution, which Mushtaq described as combining Islamic principles with fundamental rights. Ideologically, the party positions itself around social and economic justice, opposition to corruption and elite dominance, and the protection of civil liberties, including freedom of expression and press freedom. Mushtaq criticised the existing political system as unrepresentative and argued for greater public participation in decision-making, alongside reforms aimed at addressing poverty, inequality, unemployment, and institutional concentration of power.

Corruption cases In August 2020, Khan as chairperson of The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology, took up various issues of importance including irregularities & corruption cases at Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) & Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

Efforts on national reconciliation In June 2022, Khan claimed that despite being a member of the Parliamentary Committee on the National Security (PCNS), he was being ignored from being invited to the meetings of the committee and demanded that the details of negotiations with dissenting factions of society be made public.

2024 D-Chowk Dharna

In May 2024, a series of protests, referred to as the D-Chowk Dharna, were held in Islamabad, Pakistan. Organized by Khan, the demonstrations were a response to the Gaza War, demanding government and international intervention in the Gaza conflict.

In May 2024, a case was filed against Khan, along with other leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), for their pro-Palestine demonstrations. The Islamabad Police arrested Khan, on several charges related to demonstrations.

2025 Gaza Flotilla

In September 2025, Khan joined the Global Sumud Flotilla along with five others, including AJK Minister for Information, Mazhar Saeed Shah.

Arrest and release On 2 October 2025, Khan was arrested by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from a Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters approximately 70 nautical miles (≈115 km) off the Gaza coast. A total of 45 vessels were seized and 462 activists were detained between 1–3 October 2025, bringing an end to what is considered the largest civilian effort to break the siege of Gaza.

On 7 October 2025, Khan was released from Israeli custody. His release was confirmed by Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, who stated that Khan was at the Pakistani embassy in Jordan.