Peshawar/Gilgit: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has urged the Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice to help ensure transparent elections amid what he called “deeply disturbing reports” of interference in PTI’s campaign.
The concern follows reports that several PTI leaders, including KP PTI president MNA Junaid Akbar, were expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan while campaigning. PTI claimed the leaders were briefly detained, while the GB government said no arrests were made and the action was taken over alleged violations of the election code of conduct.
PTI leaders have described the episode as political victimisation and “pre-poll rigging,” saying their candidates and campaigners are being denied a level playing field ahead of the upcoming GB elections.
The GB caretaker setup has rejected claims of unfair handling, saying election preparations are being reviewed with the chief election commissioner and caretaker authorities. A high-level meeting on April 28 reviewed arrangements for the 2026 general elections in the region.
Afridi’s appeal puts fresh pressure on GB’s election authorities and judiciary at a sensitive moment. With campaigning already tense, even small administrative actions are being read politically — and frankly, that’s where trust in the process can start slipping fast.
For now, PTI is demanding open campaigning, neutral administration and judicial attention. The GB authorities, on the other hand, insist they are acting under the election code. The real test will be whether voters see the coming polls as free — not just officially managed.
