Aleema Khan arrest comes ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 march demanding Imran Khan’s release from jail.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan has been arrested from her house in Lahore, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson said on Sunday.
Aleema’s police arrest comes a week before a protest march by the party to demand the incarcerated leader’s release.
Aleema Khan sent to jail for 30 days
Aleema has been arrested and sent to jail for 30 days, according to a Lahore district administration notice. “According to intelligence reports, her presence at any public place will pose a grave threat to public safety,” the notification stated.
The order for Imran Khan’s sister’s arrest was passed by the deputy commissioner of Lahore, Muhammad Ali Ijaz, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law of Punjab, Dawn reported. The MPO ordinance allows the authorities to detain an individual and restrict judicial review of it.
Aleema ‘picked up’ after leaving home
Aleema had been taken to the Kot Lakhpat jail, Dawn’s report, quoting police sources confirmed. Following her arrest, Aleema’s sister Noreen Niazi addressed the press in Lahore and said that she was “picked up” along with her driver after she left her residence on Saturday. The family later got the news that Aleema’s vehicle was spotted parked at a police station.
In a post on X, Aleema’s son Shahrez Khan alleged that his mother “was abducted after leaving home this morning”. “Our family has had no contact or news of her whereabouts. She is on bail in all cases against her in Lahore. We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return,” Khan wrote.
PTI plans Islamabad protest on September 27
Imran Khan’s party, PTI, has organised a march to Islamabad on September 27 demanding the former prime minister’s release. However, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi earlier said that the government would take all measures necessary to stop the planned protest.
Imran Khan’s close aide Zulfi Bukhari described Aleema’s arrest as “absolutely despicable,” adding that “fear of the protest on 27th is clearly taking its toll,” Reuters reported.
