Gilgit-Baltistan Police on Friday arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar Khan, along with several lawmakers, during an operation in Hanzal.
Those arrested include Members of the National Assembly, Salim-ur-Rehman, Syed Mehboob Shah, Dr Amjad Ali Khan, and MPA Naeem Khan. Junaid Akbar Khan’s arrest was also confirmed through his official social media account.
According to reports, Junaid Akbar Khan was visiting various areas of Gilgit-Baltistan as part of an election campaign when the local administration directed him to leave the region for not possessing a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Speaking about the incident, Junaid Akbar Khan said he was ordered to leave Gilgit because he did not have an NOC, questioning whether such permission was required to visit the area.
In a statement issued through his official account after the arrest, it was stated that political ideologies cannot be suppressed by restricting political activities and preventing election campaigning.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar strongly condemned the arrest, calling it an attempt to prevent the party from participating in the democratic process. He said that Junaid Akbar was actively campaigning for the upcoming elections when he was detained by the police.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Barrister Gohar criticised the authorities for restricting political activities in the region. He stated that preventing political leaders from conducting election campaigns undermines democratic values and raises serious concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
More to follow…
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