BNF Chairman and former Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly member Nawaz Khan Naji was prevented from traveling to China after being stopped at the Sost border, with officials citing his placement on the Passport Control List (PCL).
According to reports, Naji arrived at Sost on August 12 intending to cross into China, but FIA officials at Sost Immigration blocked his travel, informing him that his name had been added to the PCL.
Naji Speaks Out
Addressing local media after the incident, Naji said he had served as a member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly for 13 years and had traveled abroad multiple times during that period without issue. He noted that not much time had passed since the recent elections and that he was unaware of when his name had been placed on the PCL.
“Various low-level tactics have been used to pressure me into submission, and this is still continuing,” he said.
Asked whether he feared detention or arrest, Naji responded, “What would they gain by arresting me?”
Awami Workers Party Condemns Move
The Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan issued a strong condemnation of the decision to bar Naji from international travel and to place his name on the Passport Control List.
In its statement, the party said restricting an individual’s freedom of movement over political differences is an inhumane and undemocratic act, and argued that political disagreements should be resolved through democratic and political means rather than administrative suppression.
The party demanded that authorities disclose the reasons behind placing Naji’s name on the Passport Control List, clarify the legal basis for the decision, and publicly present their official position on the matter.