Three Pakistanis on Gaza flotilla return home

ISLAMABAD - Three Pakistanis, including prominent TV anchor Talat Hussain, who were detained after an Israeli raid on a Gaza aid convoy, have returned home to a warm welcome.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, relatives of the freed men, civil society representatives and journalists from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were on hand to greet them at the Benazir International Bhutto Airport late Thursday and showered them with rose petals, Geo News reported.

Apart from Hussain, the executive director of Aaj TV, the others who returned were Raza Mehmood Agha, a producer with the channel, and Nadeem Khan of the NGO Khubaib Foundation.

Hussain told reporters at the airport that the Israeli attack early Monday on the Freedom Aid Flotilla in which 10 foreign aid workers were killed “has unveiled the evil designs of international big giants of democracy”.

“Israel has once again torn apart ethical values by killing innocent people through launching raids but big powers are criminally silent,” he added.

He said he would go back to Gaza and even Israel if his journalistic responsibilities demanded this.

The three Pakistanis had arrived in Amman Tuesday after being in Israeli detention for nearly 48 hours.