Pakistani authorities have detained Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Lahore, days before his Pakistan Tehreek E Insaf (PTI) party is scheduled to hold a protest march on September 27.
A PTI Punjab spokesperson confirmed that Aleema Khan was taken into custody from her residence on Sunday. Reuters also reported the arrest, citing a PTI spokesperson.
30-Day Detention Ordered
- The Lahore deputy commissioner issued an order placing Aleema Khan under 30 days of preventive detention under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
- According to the detention order reported by Dawn, Aleema Khan and her driver, Muhammad Ameer, were ordered to be detained at Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. The order allows the detainees to make a representation to the provincial government.
- The authorities cited concerns about public safety and maintenance of public order as the basis for the detention. A local report said police and intelligence reports alleged that Aleema Khan had been involved in earlier protests and was helping mobilise PTI supporters. These are allegations contained in the authorities reports and have not been established as findings against her.
Arrest Comes Ahead of September 27 PTI March
- The detention comes exactly one week before PTI’s planned September 27 protest march to Islamabad.
- The party has said the march is intended to demand the release of Imran Khan and press its political and constitutional demands. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan has described the planned mobilisation as a peaceful political protest.
- Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the government will take measures to prevent the planned protest from creating a law and order situation.
PTI Condemns Detention
- PTI leaders have strongly criticised Aleema Khan’s detention and demanded her immediate release.
- The party has described the arrest as unlawful and alleged that it is connected to efforts to restrict political activity ahead of the September 27 mobilisation. Those allegations are PTI’s position and have not been independently established.
- Her lawyer also said she had bail in her Lahore cases and questioned the circumstances surrounding her detention.
Political Tensions Continue
- Aleema Khan has been publicly advocating for the release of her brother, who has remained in prison since 2023 amid multiple legal cases.
- The latest detention adds to tensions between the Pakistani authorities and PTI ahead of the planned march. Other PTI workers have also reportedly been detained in connection with preparations for the protest.
- The government has not publicly responded in detail to PTI’s allegations about the arrest, while the detention order provides the authorities stated public order justification.
- The situation is expected to remain closely watched as September 27 approaches.
Business Galaxy: Aleema Khan’s arrest and the 30 day detention order are confirmed by multiple reports. The reasons cited by authorities and PTI’s allegations should be reported separately until further legal or official findings are available.
