LAHORE — Police have arrested Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Lahore ahead of a planned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest march on September 27.
The detention was confirmed by PTI representatives on Sunday. A detention order issued by Lahore’s deputy commissioner directs that Aleema Khan be held for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. Authorities cited concerns related to public order and safety.
The arrest comes as PTI prepares for a nationwide mobilisation centred on demands for Imran Khan’s release and what the party describes as the protection of constitutional rule. Khan has remained in prison since August 2023.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned Aleema Khan’s detention, saying the party had made clear that its planned protest would be peaceful. He called for her immediate release.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also demanded that Aleema Khan be presented before a court, alleging that she was being punished for speaking publicly in support of her brother. The party described her detention as an attempt to escalate tensions ahead of the planned demonstration.
An opposition alliance, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), also condemned the detention and called for Aleema Khan’s immediate release.
The PTI has continued preparations for its September 27 mobilisation despite the authorities’ security measures. Four PTI workers had previously been detained in connection with preparations for the planned protest, according to Pakistani media reports.
The detention has added to tensions between the government and Imran Khan’s party as PTI seeks to mobilise supporters over the former prime minister’s continued imprisonment.
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