Aleema Khanum: Sister of Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan arrested

The sister of Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister, Imran Khan, has been arrested forward of subsequent week’s protests held in his assist, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) get together has stated.

Aleema Khanum was detained within the jap metropolis of Lahore on Sunday afternoon, PTI officers stated, calling it an “unlawful detention”. Her son is demanding her return.

The order for Khanum’s arrest, which got here from Lahore’s deputy commissioner, alleged that she was mobilising Imran Khan’s supporters “by social media and public conferences”. It added that she shall be detained for 30 days.

Khanum is a vocal critic of her brother’s detention, often chatting with his supporters and the media.

A police official confirmed Khanum’s arrest to the BBC. According to the order, she shall be taken to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

Earlier within the day, her household stated that they had had “no contact or information of her whereabouts”.

“We demand the federal government instantly disclose her whereabouts and guarantee her protected return,” Khanum’s son Shahrez Khan wrote on X.

Many have linked her arrest to the protests which have been organised throughout the nation on 27 September, when demonstrators plan to march to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The arrest order stated Khanum had been mobilising individuals to “create legislation and order conditions” and “elevating/chanting objectionable slogans amongst most of the people towards the Government.”

Streets in Islamabad are already lined with delivery containers, able to safeguard town’s authorities buildings.

Local media has reported Pakistan’s inside minister as saying that the protests hurt the nation and that the federal government will do the whole lot they’ll to cease them.

Khan has been detained since 2023, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for not declaring cash earned from promoting presents he had obtained whereas in workplace.

He has confronted expenses in over 100 circumstances, starting from leaking state secrets and techniques to promoting state presents – all of which he has decried as politically motivated.

Last 12 months, the cricket star-turned-politician was jailed for 14 years in a land corruption case – the longest sentence he has obtained.

While in jail, his well being has being deteriorating, and final month Khan needed to visit a hospital for an examination.