Pakistan police detained Aleema Khan, sister of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, at her Lahore home and placed her under a 30-day preventive detention order under Punjab’s MPO law. The arrest occurred one week before PTI’s planned protest march on September 27 and prompted sharp condemnation from PTI, which called the detention illegal. Imran Khan remains in custody amid ongoing health concerns and a disputed Supreme Court order over his hospital transfer.
Imran Khan’s Sister Aleema Detained In Lahore Under 30-Day MPO Order Ahead Of PTI March
Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with supporters, reads the Quran as they gather in protest on a road leading to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, January 6, 2026 [Salahuddin/Reuters]
Pakistan police detained Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, at her home in Lahore on Sunday, authorities and her lawyers said. The arrest came exactly one week before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s planned protest march on September 27, which aims to press for Imran Khan’s release.
Detention Order And Official Justification
The deputy commissioner of Lahore issued an order, a copy of which was seen by reporters, authorising a 30-day preventive detention under Punjab’s Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. The MPO permits authorities to order preventive detention when they judge it necessary for public order or safety.
Account From Family And Lawyers
Aleema Khan’s lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umer, said she left home in the morning with a driver when police detained her and took her to an unknown location. He also said Aleema had bail in all her Lahore cases and that it was not yet clear in which case or at which police station she was being held.
"Aleema Khan left her home in the morning with the driver when the police illegally arrested her and took her to an unknown location," Rana Mudassar Umer wrote on X.
Reactions And Political Context
The PTI condemned the detention as unlawful and demanded Aleema Khan’s immediate release. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram described the arrest as "cowardice" and said an elderly woman in her 70s had been taken from her doorstep for speaking out about her brother’s detention and medical treatment.
There was no immediate official comment from the government. Reuters reported that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had previously said the government would do everything possible to prevent the planned PTI march.
Background: Imran Khan’s Custody And Health Concerns
Imran Khan, 73, has been in custody since August 2023 after convictions that his party says are politically motivated; all but one have been suspended or overturned on appeal. Concerns about his health — notably problems with his right eye that required months of specialist treatment — have driven the PTI campaign for his release.
Last month, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Imran Khan to the privately run Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical care until the next hearing. Instead, officials took him to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a brief check-up, returned him to jail and reportedly denied access to his personal physician, which PTI says breached the Supreme Court order.
What to watch: Whether Aleema Khan is presented before a court, the location of her detention, and whether the planned PTI march on September 27 proceeds or is blocked by authorities.
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