Senior PTI leader and secretary general of Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Asad Qaiser, on Saturday alleged that authorities prevented him from reaching Islamabad Airport, causing him to miss his scheduled flight to Skardu for the ongoing election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
The development comes a day after PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and members of his team were expelled from GB while campaigning ahead of the region’s elections scheduled for June 7.
In a post on X, Qaiser accused the Punjab Police of blocking access to the airport by sealing entry routes. He claimed that police personnel kept him under detention until his flight had departed, resulting not only in his missing the flight but also causing inconvenience to numerous ordinary passengers.
Describing the incident as political victimisation and undue interference in the electoral process, Qaiser alleged that attempts were being made to influence the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. He maintained that PTI leaders were being prevented from conducting their election campaign freely and fairly.
Despite the alleged restrictions, Qaiser expressed confidence that the people of GB would reject such tactics and exercise their democratic right to vote independently. He also reiterated his commitment to continue participating in the election campaign.
Videos shared by Qaiser on social media showed a lengthy queue of vehicles near the airport’s entry gate. Another video showed him speaking with individuals appearing to be Punjab Police officials, urging them to allow other passengers to proceed to the airport.
Meanwhile, an official from the Islamabad Police, speaking on condition of anonymity, told that the airport does not fall under Islamabad Police jurisdiction. The official said the department had become aware of Qaiser’s allegations but had no involvement in restricting access to the airport.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told that federal ministers were openly participating in the GB election campaign while PTI leaders were allegedly being denied the same opportunity. He argued that the participation of sitting federal ministers constituted a violation of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct and criticised the electoral watchdog for remaining silent.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas condemned the alleged obstruction of Qaiser’s travel, describing it as a clear violation of democratic principles and political freedoms.
Abbas noted that while leaders from other political parties, including federal ministers, were actively campaigning in GB, PTI and TTAP leaders appeared to be facing continuous restrictions. He argued that depriving leaders of a specific political party of their right to campaign undermines claims of transparency and political equality in the electoral process.
He further stated that such actions would not help resolve political disagreements and would instead contribute to greater division and resentment within society.
Former National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan described the incident as a form of pre-poll rigging. He alleged that the move could be followed by a flawed polling process, claiming that returning officers would ultimately be pressured into issuing manipulated election results.
Khawaja Saad Rafique Also Misses Skardu Flight
Separately, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said he too missed his flight to Skardu, blaming Rawalpindi Police for blocking traffic heading towards the airport.
In a Facebook post, Rafique said he was travelling to Skardu to participate in his party’s election campaign but, along with 12 other passengers, failed to reach the airport in time because of the traffic restrictions.
He said authorities provided no reasonable explanation for the blockade and further alleged that Air Blue closed its boarding gates before the scheduled departure time despite the traffic disruptions.
Rafique added that many women, children and elderly passengers were stranded in the heat, criticising what he described as official indifference and incompetence in handling the situation.
Political Tensions Ahead of GB Elections
Political parties, including the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party, have intensified their campaigns ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative elections, which are being held after a delay of four months.
On Friday, PTI claimed that Junaid Akbar and his associates were briefly detained by authorities in GB’s Ghizer district before being expelled from the region.
However, the Gilgit-Baltistan government denied making any arrests, stating that the PTI leaders were only expelled for allegedly violating the election code of conduct.
Meanwhile, Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claimed that caretaker GB Chief Minister Yar Muhammad was not responding to his phone calls.
The GB government rejected the allegation, explaining that the caretaker chief minister was attending a medical appointment at the time. According to the government, he later returned the call, but was informed that Afridi was unavailable to speak.