Key facts
- Three sisters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have been arrested and jailed for 30 days.
- The arrests are part of a government crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's planned nationwide protest.
- The PTI postponed its planned march from Peshawar to Islamabad until October 4.
- Khan's party claims he is being held in solitary confinement and denied medical treatment.
- Islamabad has been heavily secured with police and shipping containers to block the capital.
Pakistani authorities have arrested and jailed three sisters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for 30 days, accusing them of threatening public order, as the government intensifies a crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's planned nationwide protest. The detentions of Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Niazi mark a significant escalation ahead of a demonstration intended to demand Khan's release from prison and protest alleged democratic erosion.
The PTI has postponed its planned long march from Peshawar to Islamabad until October 4, according to Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The party had initially planned to begin the march on September 27 to press for Khan's release. Khan, who has been in jail since 2023, claims to be a political prisoner.
Islamabad has been transformed into a heavily secured area, with police deployed and shipping containers used to block city entrances, in an effort to prevent the planned march. Authorities have detained Khan's sisters and hundreds of party activists in recent days, citing a need to maintain public order. Khan's family and party allege he is being kept in solitary confinement and denied medical treatment.