GILGIT: Police detained Junaid Akbar and several of his associates before expelling them from Gilgit-Baltistan over alleged violations of the election code of conduct, officials said on Friday.
According to police authorities, Junaid Akbar and his companions were taken into custody from the Henzel area of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Reacting to the development, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the action, saying detaining Junaid Akbar and preventing him from participating in the election campaign was unacceptable.
Barrister Gohar said restricting political campaigning before elections amounts to pre-poll rigging and warned that denying political space in Gilgit-Baltistan would harm democratic values.
Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram termed the move “political victimization,” alleging that keeping PTI leaders away from the election campaign was an attempt to suppress political freedom and influence public opinion ahead of the polls.
He urged the Speaker of the National Assembly to intervene in the matter and claimed efforts were being made to create a one-sided political field in Gilgit-Baltistan.
However, Gilgit-Baltistan Interior Minister Sajid Ali Baig defended the action, saying Junaid Akbar and his associates violated the election code of conduct.
In an interview, the minister said the PTI leader reached Jaglot without prior permission and addressed a rally despite being instructed to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC).
He added that Junaid Akbar also organized a rally in Gilgit without authorization and was taken into custody along with his associates while traveling toward Ghizer.
The minister maintained that the PTI leader was expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan for violating election rules and warned that action would be taken against anyone breaching the code of conduct without discrimination.