Govt, PTI at loggerheads over alleged restrictions on GB election campaign

• Govt says transparent and credible elections will be held.
• PTI questions Election Commission's silence over campaigning.
• Opposition warns against repeat of controversial election practices.

ISLAMABAD: The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have traded barbs over alleged restrictions on political campaigning ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, with the ruling coalition rejecting claims of discrimination and the opposition alleging efforts to sideline its supporters.

Political activity in GB reached its peak ahead of the elections on 24 Assembly seats, as senior leaders of major parties arrived in the region to campaign on Tuesday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif reached Gilgit on a short visit, while PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari arrived in Skardu to address an election rally in constituency GBA-7. 

The polls for Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly seats are scheduled to be held on June 7.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah dismissed PTI's allegations, saying PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had travelled to Gilgit-Baltistan after obtaining the required no-objection certificate (NOC) from the relevant election authorities.

Rana said no federal minister had visited Gilgit-Baltistan to campaign and maintained that there had been no official interference in the electoral process.

He noted that PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan was freely holding public meetings and gatherings in the region, arguing that other PTI leaders could also campaign if they followed the same legal procedures.

"If Barrister Gohar can travel there after obtaining permission, then Salman Akram Raja should do the same," he said.

The PML-N senator further claimed that PTI did not have any candidate directly contesting the elections and insisted that the upcoming polls would be free, fair and credible.

Responding to the government's stance, PTI leader Shafi Jan alleged that all political parties except PTI were being allowed to conduct election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan.

He pointed out that both Nawaz and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were actively campaigning in the region and claimed the Election Commission would have immediately taken notice had a PTI minister been involved in similar activities. 

"The Election Commission's silence is difficult to understand," he said.

Jan also criticised the cancellation of PTI's alliance with the Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Movement, alleging that candidates associated with the party had been forced to contest as independents.

Questioning the restrictions allegedly imposed on PTI activists, he said that if the party had indeed lost public support, there should be no reason to prevent its members from campaigning freely in the region.

The PTI leader further warned against what he described as attempts to engineer the election outcome, alleging that preparations were underway for "another Form 47 operation" and vowing that the party would resist any effort to manipulate the electoral process.