Key facts
- Three sisters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have been arrested.
- The sisters were jailed for 30 days under a warrant accusing them of being a threat to public order.
- Aleema Khan was arrested in Lahore on Sunday, with Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi arrested early Monday.
- The arrests occurred ahead of a planned nationwide protest on Sunday demanding Khan's release.
- Khan's family alleges he has been denied family visits and access to medical treatment for six months.
- Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi stated the government would find a solution to prevent the march.
Three sisters of Pakistan’s incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan have been arrested as part of a government crackdown on plans for a nationwide protest demanding his release. Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Niazi were detained and jailed for 30 days under a warrant citing public order concerns, according to their lawyer, Rana Mudassir Umar.
Leaders from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party condemned the arrests as illegal harassment. Khan's family alleges he has been held in solitary confinement since his 2023 arrest on corruption charges, denied family visits for six months, and prevented from accessing medical treatment for an eye condition.
The arrests mark an escalation ahead of a planned "long march" on Sunday, intended to protest Khan's detention and what the PTI calls an erosion of democracy under the ruling coalition. The sisters, who hold political positions within PTI and have been vocal advocates for their brother, were arrested separately. Aleema was detained in Lahore on Sunday, and Uzma and Noreen were arrested early Monday after a press conference condemning Aleema's detention.
According to their lawyer, police surrounded the family home and arrested Uzma and Noreen, along with their children, grandchildren, and household staff. While the children and grandchildren were later released, the sisters were charged under the Maintenance of Public Order law. Their lawyer is challenging the arrests in the high court.
The Pakistani army, led by Chief Field Marshall Asim Munir, is widely considered the country's most powerful institution. Khan's party claims the 2024 election, which brought the current government to power, was rigged with military intervention to prevent Khan's return. Khan's sons, based in London, have accused Munir of a personal vendetta and alleged authorities are "slowly killing" their father in prison.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated the government would "find a permanent solution" to prevent the upcoming march. Despite his incarceration, Khan remains Pakistan's most popular politician, and officials fear large turnouts for the protest, fueled by widespread discontent over an economic crisis, petrol shortages, and alleged mistreatment of Khan.