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Aleema Khan Arrested in Lahore Ahead of PTI Protest March — AI-generated representative image: Police vehicles outside a residential home in Lahore, illustrating the reported arrest of a political figure's relative.

Editorial Team

Imran Khan's sister detained under Punjab public order law one week before PTI's September 27 rally

Pakistani police arrested Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, from her home in Lahore on Sunday, exactly one week before a planned protest march by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanding his release.

A senior Lahore police official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to address the media, confirmed the arrest but offered no further details.

The arrest comes as the PTI prepares for a September 27 march on Imran Khan's behalf, and as the government has signalled it will take strong measures to prevent the demonstration. It also intensifies scrutiny of the treatment of the former prime minister, whose imprisonment and health have become central to the party's campaign.

Arrest and Detention Order

The deputy commissioner of Lahore issued an order for Aleema Khan's 30-day preventive detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law of Punjab, which permits authorities to detain a person when deemed necessary for public order or safety.

Her lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umer, said she was taken from her home in the morning and moved to an unknown location. He noted that Aleema Khan holds bail in all her cases in Lahore and that it was not yet known in which case or at which police station she was being held.

The government had not issued an immediate comment on the arrest.

Background and the Planned Protest

Imran Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 over a series of convictions that his party describes as politically driven. All but one of those convictions have since been suspended or overturned on appeal.

Concerns over his health, particularly his right eye, which has required months of specialist treatment, have driven the PTI's campaign for his release. His sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, recently said they are increasingly worried after hearing that their father is "agitated" and suffering from "severe anxiety."

Last month, the country's Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Imran Khan to the privately run Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, where he was to remain under medical care until his case was next heard, according to his lawyer.

Government and Party Reactions

On Saturday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the government would do everything it could to stop the PTI protest march, according to the Reuters news agency.

The PTI condemned the arrest as illegal and demanded Aleema Khan's immediate release. Spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram described the detention as "cowardice and a deliberate attempt to worsen the situation," adding that an elderly woman had been arrested "because she refused to stay silent about her brother's illegal detention, solitary confinement, and denial of medical care."

What Happens Next

Aleema Khan's whereabouts and the specific case under which she is being held remained unconfirmed at the time of reporting. The PTI's September 27 protest march is still scheduled to proceed, although the government has indicated it intends to prevent it. Further details on the detention are awaited.