KP chief minister seeks judicial intervention over Gilgit-Baltistan poll concerns

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday wrote to the chief justice of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, urging immediate judicial intervention to ensure transparency in the upcoming elections in the region amid what he described as a worsening electoral climate.

According to the letter, the chief minister said reports emerging from Gilgit-Baltistan about the election process were deeply worrying. He alleged that one political party was facing obstacles in carrying out routine campaign activities, including holding public meetings and moving its leadership and workers during the election drive.

The development came against the backdrop of reported incidents involving Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders during the campaign. PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser said on Saturday that he was stopped from reaching Islamabad airport, causing him to miss his flight to Skardu for election-related activities. A day earlier, PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and his team were expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan while campaigning for the elections scheduled for June 7.

In his letter, Afridi said reports of political workers being harassed, unlawfully detained and prevented from taking part in political activity were deeply troubling. He warned that if such practices continued, they could seriously damage the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

The chief minister said the Constitution guarantees every political party and citizen the right to participate in free, fair, transparent and impartial elections. He added that any departure from these principles would amount to a violation of the Constitution and would also be contrary to democratic norms.

Afridi asked the court to issue clear directions to the relevant authorities to ensure free and fair elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. He also called for an immediate end to the alleged harassment and unlawful restrictions on political workers, and sought restoration of equal political space for all parties to campaign without discrimination.

The letter further urged swift and effective action against any violations of constitutional and democratic rights during the electoral process, stressing the need to uphold the rule of law and protect electoral integrity. The chief minister appealed to the court to exercise its constitutional mandate to safeguard democratic principles and restore public confidence in the election process.

He expressed hope that timely judicial intervention would help ensure credible, transparent and peaceful elections in the region.

The date for local government elections in Gilgit-Baltistan has been set for June 14. An official notification also said that the election programme issued earlier for the general elections to the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly had been withdrawn on December 18, 2025.