Pakistan Authorities Detain Imran Khan's Sister Ahead of Nationwide Protests

Pakistani authorities detained Aleema Khanum, the sister of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, in Lahore on Sunday afternoon. The arrest occurred ahead of a planned nationwide protest organized by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party scheduled for September 27 to demand his release.

PTI officials condemned the action as an illegal detention, while family members reported having no initial contact or knowledge of her whereabouts before confirming her transfer to Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. The detention order was issued by Lahore's deputy commissioner under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance of 1960.

The official detention order signed by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz mandates a 30-day detention period for Khanum. Authorities alleged in the filing that she had been actively mobilising supporters through social media and public meetings to create law and order situations and raising objectionable slogans against the government.

Legal mechanisms under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance permit local police to detain individuals perceived as threats to public peace. The statute allows legal representation against the order through appeals in the High Court or representations made directly to the provincial government.

Family members criticized the move, noting the targeting of female relatives as political pressure mounts. Noreen Niazi, another sister of the PTI founder, told local media that Khanum was taken into custody immediately after leaving her home, questioning the administration's decision to arrest women.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned the administration's actions and demanded her immediate appearance in court. Akram stated on social media that a sister is being punished simply for speaking up for her brother.

Security preparations have intensified across Pakistan, particularly in the capital city of Islamabad, where authorities lined streets with shipping containers to safeguard government buildings ahead of the upcoming demonstrations. Marchers plan to converge on Islamabad on September 27 to demand the release of the former prime minister.

Local media reported that Pakistan's interior minister warned that the protests would cause national harm and asserted that the administration would take all possible steps to block the mobilization. Imran Khan himself has remained imprisoned since 2023 following a conviction for failing to declare state gift proceeds, facing over 100 legal cases which he and his supporters maintain are politically motivated.