PTI alleges airport blockade ahead of GB polls

ISLAMABAD: Political tensions surrounding the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections intensified on Saturday after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Qaiser said he was prevented from reaching Islamabad airport in time for a flight to Skardu to take part in electioneering.

In a post on X, Qaiser alleged that Punjab police blocked his route and stopped him from travelling. He said the delay caused him to miss his flight and also disrupted other passengers heading to the airport.

"The Punjab police kept me under detention till the flight took off," he wrote in the same post.

Qaiser described the episode as a deliberate move to obstruct PTI's campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan. He said such steps were part of a broader attempt to shape the electoral atmosphere and restrict the movement of opposition leaders. Despite the incident, he said he would continue campaign efforts and voiced confidence that voters in the region would respond through the ballot.

He also shared videos showing congestion near the airport entrance and footage of him speaking to police personnel, asking them to let passengers proceed without hindrance.

Opposition leaders condemn incident

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the situation and said that while federal ministers were openly campaigning in Gilgit-Baltistan, opposition figures were being stopped from doing the same.

"Running an election campaign by sitting ministers is a clear violation of the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) code of conduct, but unfortunately, the electoral watchdog is silent," he said.

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also denounced the alleged stoppage, calling it a serious violation of democratic practice and political freedom. He said leaders from the ruling side were campaigning without impediment while PTI and Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan figures were facing repeated restrictions. In a statement posted online, Abbas wrote: "If leaders of a specific party are deprived of their fundamental democratic right to run election campaigns, then claims of transparent elections and political equality lose their credibility."

He added that such actions would further increase political polarisation.

Former National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub said the incident reflected what he called a pattern of pre-poll rigging. He alleged that the election process was being manipulated before polling day and claimed returning officers would eventually be pressured into issuing a bogus Form 47 in favour of preferred candidates.

Former federal minister Noorul Haq Qadri also termed the episode pre-poll rigging and alleged that efforts were being made to push people in the region to abandon their political loyalties. He nevertheless expressed confidence that voters in Gilgit-Baltistan would support the vision of PTI founder Imran Khan and said the region's youth were capable of making their own political choices. Qadri described the electorate as brave and conscientious.

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, while criticising the disruption, said thousands of people had to endure intense heat because of the administrative action and that many passengers were unable to catch their flights. He also thanked former minister Khawaja Saad Rafique for publicly commenting on the matter.

In a Facebook post, Rafique said he too missed his flight to Skardu and held Rawalpindi police responsible for blocking traffic on the approach to the airport. He said he had been travelling for election campaigning and that 12 others with him were also unable to board. Rafique further alleged that no proper reason was given for the disruption and said Air Blue closed boarding before departure time despite the traffic blockage.

"Numerous women, children and elderly passengers around us were languishing in the hot weather," he wrote, describing the situation as an example of indifference and incompetence.

KP chief minister seeks court intervention

Separately, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called for immediate judicial intervention to ensure transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, saying reports from the region suggested a disturbing electoral environment.

In a letter addressed to the chief justice of the Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court, with a copy sent to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the chief minister asked the judiciary to act swiftly to protect the integrity and impartiality of the election process. He said the information reaching him about the situation was "extremely alarming".

Afridi alleged that one political party was facing undue hurdles in holding campaign activities, public meetings and in the movement of its leaders and workers. He said reports had emerged of harassment of political workers, unlawful arrests and interference in political activities, warning that if such measures continued, they could seriously damage the credibility and transparency of the polls.

In his letter, Afridi said the Constitution guarantees political parties and citizens the right to take part in free, fair, transparent and impartial elections. He said any departure from those principles would violate constitutional protections and democratic norms. He asked the court to issue directions to the relevant institutions to ensure fair elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and to immediately stop any unlawful harassment, arrests and restrictions targeting political workers and leaders.