LAHORE, Sept 20: Police arrested Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, at her residence in Lahore on Sunday, according to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab spokesperson.
The arrest came ahead of a planned PTI protest march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the party demanding the release of its founder.
A notification issued by the Lahore district administration said Aleema Khan had been arrested and sent to jail for 30 days.
The administration said intelligence reports indicated that her presence at any public place could pose a serious threat to public safety.
PTI has organised the march to Islamabad for next week as part of its campaign seeking Imran Khan’s release.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that the government would take all possible measures to prevent the protest march.
Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide to Imran Khan, condemned Aleema Khan’s arrest.
He described the arrest as “absolutely despicable” and said the development showed the government’s concern over the planned September 27 protest.
The PTI has not abandoned its plans for the Islamabad march despite the government’s warnings.
The planned demonstration comes amid continued political tensions between the government and PTI over Imran Khan’s imprisonment and the party’s political demands.
