ISLAMABAD – Amnesty International come down hard on Pakistani authorities over the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan’s nephews, Shahreyar Khan and Shershah Khan, calling it deliberate attempt to crush political dissent.
In a statement from its South Asia office, Amnesty condemned the arrests as part of a “systematic campaign” targeting the families of political opponents. It demanded the immediate release of the two men, who were detained last week in connection with cases linked to the May 9, 2023 protests.
“The arrests are not about justice, they are about silencing the opposition,” the rights watchdog asserted, warning that the trend of punishing relatives of political leaders represents a dangerous escalation in Pakistan’s crackdown on dissent.
The controversy deepened in Lahore, where police picked up Shershah Khan just a day after detaining his brother, Shahrez. PTI denounced the actions as outright “abductions,” accusing authorities of waging a campaign of intimidation against Imran Khan’s family and supporters.
Aleema Khan, mother of the two, alleged that police violently entered her residence, assaulted staff, harassed her daughter-in-law, and dragged away her son in front of his children. “They think this will silence us,” she said, “but we will continue to carry Imran Khan’s message.”
A Lahore anti-terrorism court later remanded Shahrez into police custody for eight days over alleged involvement in the Jinnah House attack. His lawyers, however, dismissed the charges as fabricated, insisting he was in Chitral at the time of the riots.
The escalating standoff has not only drawn international attention but also fueled growing fears of renewed political unrest, with PTI warning that the government’s tactics are pushing the country toward further instability.
