PTI cries foul after leaders detained in G-B

Leaders stopped and taken to Gilgit while returning from Ghizer rally

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday alleged that its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, MNA Junaid Akbar, along with several party lawmakers and leaders, was "arrested" by the Gilgit-Baltistan government and administration during the party's election campaign activities ahead of the June 7 general elections in the region.

In a statement posted on X, the party claimed that PTI K-P President Junaid Akbar, accompanied by MNAs Saleemur Rehman, Amjad Ali Khan, Syed Mehboob Shah, MPA Naeem and Dr Nawaz, was stopped at a check post while returning from Ghizer district and later taken to Gilgit.

The development came as political parties intensified campaigning for the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

The PTI also shared a video of the alleged arrest on social media, showing Akbar and other leaders seated inside what appeared to be a van, while a man in police uniform could be seen in the background.

Earlier, Junaid Akbar had posted on X that PTI workers and supporters had gathered in Ghizer for a rally on Friday as part of the party's election campaign.

According to another post by Akbar, he and his companions were initially stopped while travelling to Ghizer, where, he said, the district administration informed them that they did not possess the required "permit".

"Isn't Gilgit-Baltistan a part of Pakistan? Why does a Pakistani need a no-objection certificate (NOC) to travel within their own country?" he questioned.

"Fascist tactics and panic are a clear declaration of their defeat. If they lack the courage to compete in the field, then why stage this election drama? This open violation of constitutional rights and fascism will not be accepted under any circumstances," he said.

In a subsequent post, he added: "I was told to leave Gilgit as I don't have an NOC, and now I have been stopped at the checkpost again. Is Gilgit-Baltistan not a part of Pakistan?"

In another post shared from his X account, the PTI accused the federal government of using state machinery to "steal the election".

"Our party's symbol has been snatched from us, we're not allowed to run election campaigns but are instead arrested … We were stopped in Gilgit, arrested, and expelled from the province, while PML-N leaders are provided VIP protocol and full security," the post stated.

Former National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub also condemned the alleged detention of PTI leaders.

"Strongly condemn the arrest of PTI provincial president KPK Junaid Akbar Khan in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan. This action proves that the Form 47 installed regime wants a bogus 'selection' instead of a free and fair election," he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned that if the detained parliamentarians were not released, he would personally intervene.

"I will personally go there to question the puppet GB government and those working to install a fake government about the mistreatment of our parliamentarians," he said in a post on X.

He added that such actions were "harming Pakistan".

"Such behaviour is increasing hatred, and such steps are creating divisions. Those whose job is to protect the public mandate always rob the Pakistanis of their mandate.

"By not providing a level playing field in the elections and by forcibly, through oppression and coercion, [excluding] Imran Khan sahib's party, the democratic system is being destroyed," he claimed.

The K-P chief minister also alleged that the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister was not responding to his calls.

"This attitude is undemocratic and not political. We will not let GB turn into a no-go area," he said, adding that the "hospitable" people of Gilgit-Baltistan would avenge this dishonour of their guests through their votes.