Pakistan arrests Imran Khan’s sister ahead of planned PTI march
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| Prison cell. Illustrative image. The image is representative and does not depict the detention of Aleema Khan. |
Police arrested Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, at her home in Lahore on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Her detention came a week before the party plans to hold a protest march to Islamabad.
A notification from Lahore's district administration said Aleema Khan had been detained for 30 days and sent to jail. The order said intelligence reports indicated that her presence in public could pose a serious threat to public safety.
PTI has organized the September 27 march to demand Imran Khan's release from prison. The party has said the protest will also mobilize supporters around its political demands.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that the government would take all necessary measures to prevent the planned protest march. The government's position comes as authorities prepare for possible demonstrations in Islamabad.
A close aide to Imran Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, condemned Aleema Khan's arrest and linked it to the upcoming protest, saying the government was concerned about the September 27 demonstration. His comments reflect the position of Khan's political camp and were not independently established as the reason for the detention.
The Lahore administration's order was issued under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, according to local reporting. The order said police and intelligence officials had recommended a 30-day detention to maintain law and order in the city.
The arrest adds to tensions between the government and PTI ahead of the planned march. Imran Khan remains in prison, while his party continues to campaign for his release.
