Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including KP President Junaid Akbar Khan, were arrested by Gilgit-Baltistan Police in the Hunza region, intensifying political tensions and sparking strong reactions from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
According to party sources, the detained leaders also included Members of the National Assembly Saleem ur Rehman, Syed Mehboob Shah, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan, and MPA Naim Khan Nawaz Khan Shangla. The arrests reportedly took place during a political visit to the region.
Reacting strongly to the development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi criticized the Gilgit-Baltistan administration, calling the move “undemocratic and politically unacceptable.” He claimed that repeated attempts to contact the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister had gone unanswered.
“We will not allow Gilgit-Baltistan to become a no-go area,” Afridi said, warning that if the detained parliamentarians were not released immediately, he would personally travel to the region to question what he described as a “puppet government” over the treatment of elected representatives.
The arrests come amid rising political tensions in Pakistan, where opposition parties continue to accuse regional administrations of targeting political workers and lawmakers. PTI supporters on social media also condemned the detentions, demanding the immediate release of party leaders.
Political analysts believe the incident could further deepen divisions between provincial and regional governments, especially at a time when the country is already facing heightened political instability.
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