PTI to boycott upcoming AJK elections amid unrest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced that it will stay out of the upcoming elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, saying the move has been made in support of the people of the region and in view of the current situation there.

The party’s Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said in a statement posted on X on Thursday that the decision reflected PTI’s position on the prevailing circumstances rather than an electoral tactic. He said the party was standing with the people of AJK, their democratic rights and their right to self-determination.

In his statement, Akram said PTI had decided not to take part in the polls while conditions remained unchanged. He described the move as an expression of solidarity with the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and a principled stance by the party.

The announcement came as tensions continued in AJK after the government banned the Joint Awami Action Committee. The group has continued its sit-in and said it will carry on with the protest until its legitimate demands are accepted.

Akram said in the statement “Expressing unwavering solidarity with the aspirations of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, their right to self-determination, and their democratic rights, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided not to participate in the elections under the prevailing circumstances”.