ISLAMABAD – Former National Assembly Speaker and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser alleged he was stopped, detained, and barred from entering Islamabad International Airport while travelling for an election campaign trip to Skardu.
PTI leaders said Qaiser was supposed to depart to Gilgit Baltistan, but the access routes to the airport were suddenly blocked and security checks intensified, that caused traffic jams and travel chaos across the airport corridor.
مرکزی رہنما پی ٹی آئی اسد قیصر کا اسلام آباد ایئرپورٹ روڈ بندش کے دوران پنجاب پولیس کے اہلکاروں سے مکالمہ
روڈ آپ لوگوں نے ہماری وجہ سے بلاک کیا ہے۔ لوگوں کو کیوں عذاب دیتے ہو ہم سائیڈ پر کھڑے ہو جائیں گے، بس ہمیں بتا دیں کہ آپ نے نہیں جانا۔ عام لوگوں اور مسافروں کو تکلیف ہے۔… pic.twitter.com/N4hKO0b0iX— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) May 30, 2026
Passenger reports described long queues stretching back from early morning hours, with some travelers reportedly missing their flights and others seen walking long distances toward the terminal as vehicles remained stranded in gridlock.
PTI said the party senior leader was not only blocked from entering the airport but was also held briefly until his scheduled flight departed, calling the incident ‘politically motivated’ and accusing authorities of deliberately disrupting his campaign movement.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said other political groups continue their election activities freely, but their candidates are being obstructed ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan polls.
The disruption also sparked widespread inconvenience for ordinary commuters, many of whom faced extended delays due to heightened security measures and road closures around the airport vicinity.
Authorities have so far remained silent on the allegations, with no official response issued regarding the claims of detention or airport restrictions.
Islamabad Traffic Update amid diversions on Srinagar Highway, Murree Road, and Club Road
