Islamabad, May 30, 2026: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser on Saturday alleged that restrictions on his movement prevented him from reaching Islamabad International Airport in time to board a flight to Skardu, where he was scheduled to participate in the election campaign for the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) polls.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and PTI Senator Fauzia Arshad, Qaiser said he encountered multiple road blockades while travelling to the airport.
“Initially, I thought the roads had been closed due to security arrangements, but later learned the restrictions were imposed because of my planned movement,” he claimed.
The allegations come as political parties intensify campaigning across Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of the June 7 elections.
Questioning the transparency of the electoral process, Qaiser said leaders of other political parties were being allowed to campaign freely in the region.
“Bilawal Bhutto is travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan and Amir Muqam is already there, yet I was stopped from reaching the airport,” he said, referring to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Amir Muqam.
He warned that such actions could undermine the credibility of the upcoming elections.
“If this is how elections are to be conducted, there is little purpose in holding them,” Qaiser added.
The PTI leader also criticised the ruling coalition, alleging that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were “two sides of the same coin.”
He said that if PTI returned to power, the party would focus on transforming Gilgit-Baltistan into a major international tourism destination.
Speaking at the press conference, Khokhar claimed that hundreds of passengers had missed their flights due to road closures in the capital. He stressed that all political parties and candidates should be allowed to campaign freely and participate in the electoral process without hindrance.
He further alleged that if election outcomes were already predetermined, authorities should avoid spending public funds on polling and instead “hand out Form 47s,” referring to election result forms.
Khokhar also emphasized the need for political dialogue and consensus-building among all stakeholders to address the country’s challenges.
Calling for a new national charter agreed upon by all major political forces, he said political reconciliation was essential for democratic stability and sustainable governance.
Referring to previous efforts at negotiations, Khokhar said the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan alliance had accepted the prime minister’s proposal for talks.
“No meaningful progress has been made in the two months since the proposal was made,” he added.
