Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has written to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, requesting immediate judicial intervention to safeguard the transparency and credibility of the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

In his letter, Afridi expressed concern over what he described as a deteriorating electoral environment, alleging that one political party was facing obstacles in conducting normal campaign activities, including public meetings, political outreach, and the movement of party leaders and workers.

The chief minister referred to reports of political workers being harassed, detained, and restricted from participating in election-related activities.He argued that such actions could damage public confidence in the electoral process and undermine the fairness of the elections.

Afridi stressed that Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees citizens and political parties the right to participate in free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections, and warned that any deviation from these principles would conflict with both constitutional requirements and democratic norms.His appeal came amid tensions surrounding the election campaign.

PTI leader Asad Qaiser claimed that he was prevented from reaching Islamabad airport and consequently missed a flight to Skardu for campaign activities.

Earlier, PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and his team were reportedly expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan during electioneering, with authorities citing violations of the election code of conduct.

Afridi urged the court to direct relevant authorities to ensure equal political opportunities for all parties, end any unlawful restrictions on political workers, and take action against violations of constitutional rights.He emphasised the importance of protecting electoral integrity and maintaining the rule of law.

The chief minister expressed hope that timely judicial action would help ensure peaceful, credible, and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of the June 7 assembly polls and the June 14 local government elections.