Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser stated on Saturday that restrictions on his movement prevented him from arriving at Islamabad airport in time to board a flight to Skardu. He was scheduled to participate in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) election campaign ahead of the June 7 polls.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Senator Fauzia Arshad, Qaiser explained that he encountered road blockades while en route to the airport. Initially, he assumed these were security measures, but later realized the restrictions were specifically imposed due to his planned travel.
This incident comes amid intensified campaigning by political parties across Gilgit-Baltistan. Qaiser questioned the fairness of the electoral process, pointing out that leaders from other parties were freely campaigning in the region. He highlighted that Bilawal Bhutto was traveling to Gilgit-Baltistan and Amir Muqam was already present there, yet he was prevented from reaching the airport.
He warned that such actions were casting doubt on the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. “If this is how elections are conducted, then holding them serves little purpose,” he remarked. Qaiser also criticized the ruling coalition, describing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as “two sides of the same coin.” He pledged that a future PTI government would prioritize developing Gilgit-Baltistan as a major tourism hub.
During the same event, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed that hundreds of passengers missed their flights due to the road closures. He emphasized that every candidate should have the right to campaign and participate freely in the electoral process. Khokhar alleged that if election results were predetermined, authorities should refrain from spending public funds on elections and instead “hand out Form 47s.”
He further stressed that political dialogue and consensus among parties remain crucial to resolving the country’s current challenges. Calling for a new national charter endorsed by all political forces, Khokhar asserted that political reconciliation is vital for democratic stability.
Referring to previous negotiation attempts, Khokhar noted that the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan alliance had accepted the prime minister’s invitation for talks. However, he lamented that no meaningful progress has been achieved in the two months since the proposal was made.
