Senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser alleged on Saturday that Punjab Police prevented him from reaching Islamabad Airport, causing him to miss a flight to Skardu. He said he was travelling for election campaigning ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan polls. The incident has intensified opposition concerns about fairness and political freedoms before the upcoming elections.
In a statement on X, Qaiser claimed police blocked access routes leading to the airport and denied him entry. He alleged that authorities kept him in custody until his flight departed. According to Qaiser, the action disrupted travel for other passengers and reflected efforts to influence the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan.
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Later, opposition leaders from PTI and the Tehreek-e-Tahuf-e-Ayien Pakistan addressed a joint press conference. Qaiser questioned the authority under which Punjab Police allegedly stopped an elected member of the National Assembly from travelling. He argued that preventing some political leaders from campaigning while allowing others amounted to political discrimination.
آج میں سکردو جا رہا تھا، جہاں 7 جون کو انتخابات ہو رہے ہیں۔ وہاں حکومتی وزراء پہلے سے موجود ہیں، حالانکہ وزراء انتخابی مہم نہیں چلا سکتے۔ میری صبح ساڑھے 9 بجے فلائٹ تھی، مگر ایئرپورٹ جانے والی سڑک بلاک کر دی گئی۔ ڈی ایس پی سمیت پولیس کی بھاری نفری مجھے روکنے کے لیے تعینات تھی۔ سب… pic.twitter.com/J7S5OFkssa
— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) May 30, 2026
The opposition also linked the incident to recent developments in Gilgit-Baltistan. Qaiser referred to the detention of PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar Khan during campaign activities in Hunza. He urged voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to participate in the election and safeguard their votes, while calling on election authorities to ensure equal opportunities for all parties.
Read more: PPP walks out of NA, demands end to Punjab’s rhetoric
Opposition figures including Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Allama Raja Nasir, and Omar Ayub Khan condemned the reported restrictions. They argued that selective actions against opposition leaders could undermine confidence in the electoral process. The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission has scheduled general elections for June 7, 2026, following a four-month postponement due to severe winter conditions.