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Lahore’s deputy commissioner issued an order for the detention of Aleema Khan under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance citing intelligence reports that deemed her public presence a threat to safety. Police took the sister of Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan into custody as she left her residence on Upper Mall for a local gym, according to party sources who spoke to The News International. She was later moved to Kot Lakhpat jail in the city, Dawn reported, with the order also naming another individual for similar detention.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party swiftly condemned the arrest. PTI information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram posted on X that “This is not law. This is an illegal arrest. This is cowardice and a deliberate attempt to worsen the situation.” Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the PTI chairman, told associates that detaining Aleema Khan amounted to promoting violence and tension, Noreen Niazi, another sister, relayed.
Aleema Khan has been vocal in demanding the release of her brother, who according to Al Jazeera has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges including corruption in the Al-Qadir Trust case that carries a 14-year sentence. An India Today report from last year noted that Aleema Khan and her sister Uzma Khanum faced arrest during a similar protest in Islamabad in October 2024. The PTI has consistently described the cases against Imran Khan as politically motivated.
The arrest occurs exactly one week before the PTI’s scheduled long march to Islamabad on September 27. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated on Saturday that the government would take all measures necessary to prevent the demonstration, multiple outlets including The Straits Times reported. A close aide to Imran Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, described the development as “absolutely despicable” and suggested it reflected authorities’ anxiety over the upcoming event.
Aleema Khan’s lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umer, said in a post on X, “Aleema Khan left her home in the morning with the driver when the police illegally arrested her and took her to an unknown location.” Noreen Niazi told Geo News, “I do not know why they are so worried that they are arresting women as well.” She added that the family remains undeterred and will persist in efforts for Imran Khan’s freedom.
The Maintenance of Public Order law permits preventive detention without immediate judicial oversight for up to six months when authorities believe it is required to maintain peace. The order allows the detained person to challenge it before the provincial government or high court, according to legal experts cited in Arab News coverage. This marks the latest in a series of actions against PTI figures as the party pushes for Imran Khan’s release from Adiala jail near Rawalpindi.
