PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter President Junaid Akbar along with other party leaders have been expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan, the region’s police officials said on Friday.
The development came amid ongoing electioneering by different political parties in GB ahead of June 7 polls. GB police officials said they had taken Akbar and his six other associates into custody.
“Mehboob Shah, Salimur Rehman, Dr Amjad Ali Khan were among those detained,” the police added.
They said Muhammad Naeem Khan, Ziauddin and Arshad Meer were also detained by the police.
GB police officials said Akbar was detained from Hanzel area along with other PTI leaders.
Speaking to the media on the PTI leaders’ expulsion, GB Home Minister Sajid Ali Baig said Akbar and his associates violated the election code of conduct.
Akbar addressed the rally in the Jaglot area and also held a public gathering in Gilgit without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC), the home minister added.
“Indiscriminate action will be taken against the violation of the election code of conduct,” vowed the minister.
In a statement, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the arrest of the party workers, saying denying political space even in GB will harm democracy in the country.
“Preventing [political workers] from running election campaign ahead of polls is tantamount to rigging,” he added.
GB is set to go to the polls on June 7 to elect its 4th Legislative Assembly. The 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order, issued by President Asif Ali Zardari, was intended to grant the region autonomy to govern itself.