Junaid Akbar Khan, the provincial president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with several party lawmakers, was detained by Gilgit-Baltistan Police in the Hanzal area during an election campaign visit, party leaders and sources said.
According to sources, Junaid Akbar had been touring various areas of Gilgit-Baltistan in connection with the party’s election campaign when police stopped his convoy and informed him that he did not possess the required no-objection certificate (NOC).
“I was told that you do not have an NOC, so you should leave Gilgit,” Junaid Akbar said while reacting to the action taken against him.
He questioned the requirement for special permission to enter the region, saying, “Is Gilgit-Baltistan not a part of Pakistan?”
Sources said Members of the National Assembly Salim-ur-Rehman, Syed Mehboob Shah, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan and Member of the Provincial Assembly Naeem Khan were also taken into custody during the operation.
According to party sources, all PTI leaders were later expelled from Ghizer district and sent back toward Gilgit district by authorities.
In a strongly worded reaction, Junaid Akbar criticized restrictions on political movement and campaigning in the region, calling them unconstitutional and undemocratic.
“Tell me from whom should I get an NOC and why,” he said, adding that he was not entering a foreign country but was present within Pakistan.
“I am not a part of any other country but Pakistan. I am in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.
The PTI leader alleged that restrictions on political activity were aimed at limiting competition ahead of elections in the region.
“Preventing the election campaign is an attempt to empty the political arena,” he said, while urging political opponents to engage in democratic competition instead of imposing restrictions.
“Abandon cowardice and compete politically,” he remarked.
Junaid Akbar said similar restrictions had also been imposed on PTI activities in Gilgit and Hunza, where authorities allegedly cited the absence of an NOC as the reason for limiting movement and public engagement.
He maintained that PTI workers had remained peaceful and law-abiding despite the situation.
“We have not taken the law into our own hands before, and we will remain peaceful in the future too,” he said.
The PTI leader further alleged that restricting political activity in Gilgit-Baltistan amounted to weakening democratic norms for electoral gains.
“The country is being weakened to win an election,” he said.
He also claimed that such restrictions reflected an attitude that failed to recognize Gilgit-Baltistan as an integral part of Pakistan.
“Those who take such steps are committing anti-national acts,” he added, urging authorities to allow political workers freedom of movement and activity instead of escalating tensions.