Sister of Pakistan's jailed ex-PM Imran Khan arrested
Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khanum has been arrested in Lahore days before nationwide protests planned in support of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister. His party PTI calls the detention illegal.
Aleema Khanum, sister of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested in Lahore on Sunday, according to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which described the move as an "illegal detention".
The arrest order, issued by Lahore's deputy commissioner, alleges Khanum had been mobilising Imran Khan's supporters through social media and public gatherings. Under the order she is to be held for 30 days and taken to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
The order further claims she incited people to create law-and-order disturbances and chanted slogans against the government. A police official confirmed the arrest to the BBC.
Earlier in the day, Khanum's family said they had no information about her whereabouts. Her son, Shahrez Khan, posted on X demanding the government immediately disclose her location and ensure her safe return.
Khanum has long been an outspoken critic of her brother's imprisonment, frequently addressing his supporters and speaking to media. Her arrest is widely being linked to protests planned across Pakistan on 27 September, when demonstrators intend to march on the capital, Islamabad.
Streets in Islamabad have already been lined with shipping containers to protect government buildings. Local media have quoted Pakistan's interior minister as saying the protests are harmful to the country and that the government will do everything possible to prevent them.
Imran Khan has been in custody since 2023, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare income from selling state gifts received while in office. He faces more than 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, all of which he has called politically motivated. Last year, the former cricket star was sentenced to 14 years in a land corruption case, his longest sentence yet. His health has reportedly deteriorated in prison, and he was taken to hospital for examination last month.
