In a sharp escalation of political tensions ahead of nationwide pro-Imran Khan demonstrations planned for next week, Pakistan’s ruling administration has detained the former prime minister’s outspoken sister, Aleema Khanum, in a move that has drawn immediate condemnation from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The arrest, carried out Sunday afternoon in the eastern metropolis of Lahore, has been labeled an “illegal detention” by PTI officials, who explicitly tie the action to efforts to suppress the upcoming 27 September protest movement.
The detention order issued by Lahore’s deputy commissioner lays out the government’s formal justification, alleging that Khanum has organized and mobilized Imran Khan’s supporters across both public gatherings and social media platforms. The order further claims her activities are intended to stir unrest, create disruptions to public law and order, and spread anti-government sentiment through critical slogans. Under the terms of the order, Khanum will remain in custody for 30 days at Lahore’s high-security Kot Lakhpat jail, a location confirmed by a local police official contacted by the BBC.
In the immediate hours following the arrest, Khanum’s family reported they were cut off from her, with no information about her location or condition. Her son, Shahrez Khan, took to the social platform X to issue a public demand for transparency. “We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return,” he wrote in his post.
Political observers and PTI supporters universally connect the timing of Khanum’s arrest to the mass protest mobilization scheduled for 27 September, when thousands of demonstrators plan to march from across Pakistan to the capital city of Islamabad to demand Imran Khan’s release from prison. In preparation for the demonstration, the incumbent government has already deployed large shipping containers to block key streets across Islamabad, positioning the barriers to secure government buildings and block access to central parts of the capital. Local Pakistani media has quoted Interior Ministry officials as saying the protests threaten national stability, and the government will use all available measures to prevent the demonstrations from proceeding.
This latest political crackdown comes amid a years-long legal and political campaign against Imran Khan, the 71-year-old former cricket star who rose to national power before being ousted from office in 2022. Khan has remained in state custody since 2023, when he was handed an initial three-year prison conviction over charges that he failed to declare income earned from selling state gifts he received during his time in prime minister. Since that first conviction, he has faced more than 100 additional criminal charges, ranging from corruption and unlawful land deals to allegations of leaking state secrets. Khan and his supporters have consistently decried every one of these charges as politically motivated, engineered to remove him from the Pakistani political landscape.
Last year, a special court handed Khan a 14-year prison sentence in a separate land corruption case, the longest penalty he has received to date. While incarcerated, his physical health has steadily declined, a situation that has drawn growing concern from his supporters. Just last month, Khan was transported from prison to a civilian hospital for urgent medical examinations amid reports of worsening health issues.
Khanum has long been one of the most visible public faces of the campaign to support Imran Khan since his imprisonment, regularly speaking to media outlets and addressing crowds of his supporters to condemn his detention. Her arrest marks the most high-profile crackdown on PTI leadership ahead of the 27 September protests, signaling the government’s intention to disrupt the protest movement before it can gather momentum.