Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday accused its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, MNA Junaid Akbar, and several party lawmakers and leaders of being “arrested” by the Gilgit-Baltistan government during election campaign activities ahead of June 7 general elections.
The PTI claimed that Junaid Akbar, along with 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. This development came as political parties intensified campaigning for the upcoming elections.
The PTI shared a video on social media showing Akbar and other leaders seated inside what appeared to be a van, with a man in police uniform visible in the background.
Earlier, Junaid Akbar had posted on X that PTI workers and supporters gathered in Ghizer for a rally as part of the party’s election campaign. He said they were initially stopped while traveling to Ghizer, where the district administration informed them they did not possess the required “permit”.
“Why does a Pakistani need a no-objection certificate (NOC) to travel within their own country?” he questioned.
The PTI leader accused the government of using state machinery to “steal the election”, stating that their party’s symbol was snatched, they were not allowed to run campaigns but arrested instead. He also alleged that PML-N leaders are provided VIP protocol and full security.
Former National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub condemned the arrest of PTI leaders, saying it proved the Form 47 installed regime wanted a bogus ‘selection’ instead of free elections.
Meanwhile, K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned that if detained parliamentarians were not released, he would personally intervene. He stated such actions were harming Pakistan and destroying the democratic system by not providing a level playing field in the elections and forcefully excluding Imran Khan’s party.