Sister of Pakistan’s jailed ex-PM Imran Khan taken into custody

Pakistani authorities have detained Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former Prime Minister and founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Imran Khan, Dawn reports, citing a statement from the party.

According to an order issued by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz and reviewed by the newspaper, Aleema Khan’s detention was authorized under Punjab’s Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The document states that Aleema Khan and other PTI activists pose a threat to “public order” because they participated in protests in May 2023 following Imran Khan’s arrest and have continued mobilizing party supporters on social media.

PTI plans to hold a rally in Islamabad on September 27 to demand the former prime minister’s release. Authorities in the Pakistani capital have already begun preparing for possible unrest, with security checks strengthened at entry points to the city and hospitals placed on high alert.

Khan served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He was removed from office on April 10, 2022, following a no-confidence vote in parliament. Since 2023, he has been serving a 14-year prison sentence on corruption charges. His wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year prison sentence in the same case.

By Jeyhun Aghazada