PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has written to the chief judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, seeking judicial intervention to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the region.
In a letter addressed to the chief justice, the chief minister expressed concern over reports regarding the political environment in Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of the forthcoming elections. He said information received from the region suggested that a political party contesting the elections was facing undue restrictions on its political activities, including election campaigning, public gatherings and the movement of its leadership and workers.
The chief minister also referred to reports of harassment, arbitrary arrests and obstacles to lawful political participation, warning that such developments, if left unchecked, could undermine the integrity, credibility and transparency of the electoral process. Emphasising constitutional guarantees, he said every political party and citizen had the fundamental right to participate in free, fair, transparent and impartial elections. Any departure from these democratic principles, he added, would constitute a violation of constitutional guarantees and democratic norms.
Sohail Afridi requested the Supreme Appellate Court to take cognisance of the matter and issue appropriate directions to the relevant authorities to ensure that the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the Constitution and democratic principles.
He also called for measures to prevent unlawful harassment, arrests or restrictions on political workers and party leaders, and urged the authorities to ensure that all political parties are able to carry out their election campaigns and political activities without hindrance.
The chief minister urged the court to ensure prompt action against any violations of constitutional and democratic rights during the electoral process. He expressed hope that timely judicial intervention would help uphold the rule of law, safeguard democratic values and reinforce public confidence in the electoral process.
