GILGIT: Junaid Akbar, the PTI provincial president of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was detained by Gilgit-Baltistan Police along with several other party lawmakers while on election campaign duties.
The arrests occurred in the Hunza region, where Akbar, along with Assembly members Saleem Rehman, Syed Mehboob Shah, Dr. Amjad Ali, and Naeem Khan, were traveling as part of PTI’s campaign efforts in Gilgit-Baltistan. Police confirmed that the leaders were detained during their campaign activities.
The move prompted a strong response from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who threatened to personally go to Gilgit-Baltistan if the lawmakers were not released swiftly. Afridi criticized the arrests as “undemocratic and politically motivated,” accusing authorities of creating divisions and fueling political hostility.
He further alleged that the caretaker government in Gilgit-Baltistan was unresponsive to his calls and warned against turning the region into a “political no-go zone.” Afridi emphasized that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would exercise their democratic rights through the upcoming elections.
PTI leaders condemned the arrests, demanding the immediate release of Junaid Akbar and other detained lawmakers, and called for an end to such actions that undermine democratic processes.
