Aleema Khanum, the sister of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested in Lahore on Sunday, ahead of planned protests in support of her brother scheduled for September 27th. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called the arrest an "illegal detention." Authorities allege Khanum was mobilizing supporters “through social media and public meetings” and creating a risk of public disorder, and will be detained for 30 days. Her son, Shahrez Khan, has demanded her immediate return and disclosed the family had no information regarding her whereabouts. The arrest comes as streets in Islamabad are being secured with shipping containers in anticipation of demonstrators marching on the capital.
Khan has been imprisoned since 2023, following a three-year sentence for failing to declare income from gifts received while in office, and faces over 100 charges, which he claims are politically motivated. He received a 14-year sentence last year in a land corruption case and his health has reportedly been deteriorating, requiring a recent hospital visit. Local media reports Pakistan's interior minister stating the government will take all measures to prevent the protests, which he claims harm the country. Khanum is a vocal critic of her brother’s detention and regularly speaks to his supporters and the media. She will be held at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, police confirmed.
Our reading is that the arrest of Aleema Khanum appears to be a preemptive move by the Pakistani government to suppress planned demonstrations supporting her brother. The stated justification of preventing public disorder, coupled with the 30-day detention period, suggests a deliberate attempt to disrupt the PTI’s mobilization efforts. The family’s lack of information regarding her whereabouts reinforces the impression of an assertive, potentially opaque, application of state power.
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