KP CM Afridi urges GB chief justice to ensure transparency amid 'alarming' electoral environment
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday wrote to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, urging immediate judicial intervention to ensure transparency in the upcoming GB elections amid what he described as an “alarming” deterioration in the electoral environment. The move came amid a series of reported incidents involving PTI leaders during the ongoing election campaign in the mountainous region. PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser on Saturday claimed he was prevented from reaching Islamabad airport, resulting in him missing his flight to Skardu in connection with the election campaign. The incident followed the expulsion of PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and his team from GB a day earlier, while they were campaigning for the upcoming elections scheduled for June 7. In the letter, the chief minister said reports emerging from GB regarding the electoral process were “extremely concerning”. CM alleged that one political party was being subjected to undue obstacles in carrying out routine electoral activities, including public gatherings, campaigning, and the movement of its leadership and workers. He further stated that reports of political workers being harassed, unlawfully detained, and prevented from engaging in political activity were “deeply troubling”, warning that if such practices continued unchecked, they could “severely undermine the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.” Emphasising constitutional guarantees, the chief minister noted that Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees every political party and citizen the fundamental right to participate in free, fair, transparent and impartial elections. He added that any deviation from these principles would not only constitute a violation of the Constitution but would also run contrary to democratic norms. The letter also called for clear directions to the relevant authorities to ensure free and fair elect...
Original source: Dawn Pakistan