PTI KP President Junaid Akbar, Other Leaders Arrested in Gilgit-Baltistan

Pakistan News May 29, 2026

2 weeks ago|2 weeks ago|

Gilgit-Baltistan police on Friday confirmed the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President and MNA Junaid Akbar, along with several other party leaders.

Police officials stated that Akbar and his companions were arrested at Henzel and would be expelled from the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The PTI alleged that along with Akbar, MNAs Saleemur Rehman, Dr Amjab, Mehboob Ali Shah, Naeem, and Dr Nawaz were also taken into custody at a check post while returning from the Ghizer district and were subsequently taken to Gilgit.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, speaking to the media in Peshawar, condemned the arrests, stating they occurred during an election campaign. He called the act of preventing leaders from campaigning “tantamount to pre-poll rigging” and warned that denying political space in Gilgit-Baltistan would harm democracy.

Similarly, former opposition leader Omar Ayub denounced the arrests, claiming the action proves the current government “wants a bogus ‘selection’ instead of a free and fair election.”

Latest Updates

Updated: 7:52 AM PKT — May 30, 2026

Following their detention, police have expelled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar and his colleagues from the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The leaders were taken into custody at a check post in Henzel.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar reiterated his condemnation of the action, describing it as an attempt to prevent his party’s election campaigning in the region and tantamount to pre-poll rigging. He warned that denying political space in Gilgit-Baltistan would be detrimental to democracy.

Updated: 6:19 AM PKT — May 30, 2026

PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar, were reportedly expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan after being briefly detained for not possessing a no-objection certificate (NOC) required for an election rally. Akbar questioned the need for a permit for a Pakistani to travel within the country. The party condemned the action as a bid to influence the upcoming elections, contrasting their treatment with the VIP protocol allegedly given to PML-N leaders.

In response, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned he would “personally go there” to confront the Gilgit-Baltistan administration if the parliamentarians were not released, calling the move undemocratic.

Updated: 11:45 PM PKT — May 29, 2026

Gilgit-Baltistan’s Interior Minister, Sajid Ali Baig, has stated that the expulsion of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar was due to violations of the election code of conduct. The minister said that Akbar arrived in Juglot and later held a rally in Gilgit without prior permission or notification, despite being told a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was required.

According to the interior minister, Akbar and his companions were taken into custody while travelling to Ghizer as a direct result of these breaches. He affirmed that action against any violation of the election code of conduct would be taken without discrimination.