LAHORE – Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, has been detained just days before the party’s planned September 27 protest and march towards Islamabad.
Aleema was taken into custody under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and later shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail. The detention reportedly came as Aleema was leaving her Upper Mall residence for a gym. Lytton Road police took her into custody, while her vehicle was taken to the police station.
The move has added another major flashpoint to an already tense political environment, with PTI preparing for nationwide demonstrations and its Islamabad mobilisation on September 27.
Khan’s party announced nationwide protest followed by a march towards Islamabad, with the party demanding Imran Khan’s release and calling for the supremacy of the Constitution.
Aleema’s detention comes amid increased police action against PTI figures in Punjab ahead of the planned mobilisation. Earlier this week, detention orders were issued against several PTI leaders and workers in Lahore under the MPO law. The latest development is therefore likely to draw renewed attention to the government’s handling of PTI activities before September 27.
Despite the escalating tensions, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has continued to advocate political dialogue. Gohar has acknowledged that the atmosphere surrounding negotiations is currently “cold” but maintained that political disputes should be resolved through political means.
He has also said that all sides would need to demonstrate flexibility if political engagement is to move forward. Against this backdrop, Senate Opposition Leader and Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan Vice Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had met opposition representatives.
According to Abbas, the opposition conveyed its position during the meeting and made clear that any decision to postpone the September 27 march would ultimately rest with Imran Khan. Gohar was also questioned about his reported contacts with Naqvi. He did not deny that meetings had taken place and said political contacts were continuing.
With Aleema Khan now in Kot Lakhpat Jail and the PTI preparing for its nationwide protest campaign, attention is turning to how the political situation develops over the coming days.
