Police in Pakistan have arrested Aleema Khan, the sister of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, taking her into custody from her residence in Lahore. The arrest comes just days before a protest march planned for September 27 by Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Aleema Khan had been preparing to take part in the march, which makes the timing of her detention politically significant.
Lahore district authorities have ordered that she be held in jail for 30 days. Officials justified the order by citing intelligence reports, which they said indicated that her being free to move about could cause public inconvenience or pose a danger to the public. The authorities did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged threat. The length of the detention means she would remain in custody well beyond the date of the planned march.
The PTI plans to hold a large march in Islamabad on September 27, demanding that Imran Khan be released from prison. The government has signaled it will not allow the demonstration to proceed unchallenged. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has already said the government will take every measure to stop the march.
Zulfi Bukhari, a close associate of Imran Khan, reacted sharply to the arrest, calling it deeply wrong. He argued that the move shows the government is frightened of the September 27 protest. His remarks reflect the PTI’s broader position that the authorities are using state machinery to suppress the party’s political activity.
Imran Khan captained Pakistan’s cricket team to victory in the 1992 World Cup before entering politics and rising to become prime minister. He has now spent more than three years in prison. His family members, including his two sons, have repeatedly expressed concern about his health. The family has also alleged that the actions against him are the result of a conspiracy involving Army Chief Asim Munir.