Aleema Khan detained under MPO ahead of PTI's Sept 27 protes

PTI founder Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan has been detained under the MPO in Lahore for 30 days ahead of the party's Sept 27 protest. PTI condemns the move and demands her immediate release as authorities prepare for the march to Islamabad amid heightened political tensions. ahead of planned march Lahore DC orders 30-day detention of Imran Khan's sister, citing public-order concerns PTI condemns move, demands immediate release as authorities prepare for Islamabad march Noreen Niazi calls detention part of 'pressure' ahead of planned protest Capital police detain four PTI activists as security measures intensify LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Sunday that party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, had been detained by authorities after the office of Lahore's deputy commissioner (DC) ordered her detention or arrest for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. The development comes amid reports of a crackdown on PTI ahead of its September 27 countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party has called to demand Imran's release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution. In a September 20 MPO order, Lahore DC Muhammad Ali Ijaz ordered the detention or arrest of Aleema and a man named Muhammad Ameer under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 (MPO). The MPO ordinance allows authorities to order preventive detention and restrict judicial review of such orders. 'Their custody shall be placed under the superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. They shall be at liberty to make a representation to the provincial government against this order,' the document read. Meanwhile, police sources confirmed that Aleema had been transported to Kot Lakhpat jail. Following the arrest, Aleema's sister Noreen Niazi, flanked by her sister's counsel, Advocate Mudassir Umar, addressed a press conference in Zaman Park, Lahore. Noreen claimed Aleema was 'picked up' along with her driver after leaving her residence on Saturday and that the family later learnt that Aleema's vehicle was parked at a police station. Meanwhile, the lawyer said they had yet to receive official confirmation of her arrest. The DC's order cited a letter by the Lahore capital city police officer, which referred to police reports stating that Aleema and Ameer 'are prejudicial to the public safety and maintenance of public order'. According to the order, the reports also said the two had been involved in roadblocks and protests on May 9, 2023, when PTI supporters and workers took to the streets against Imran's arrest. 'They motivated the workers to damage public and government property. Moreover, they are again mobilising the workers through social media and public meetings to create law and order situation, raising/chanting objectionable slogans amongst the general public against the government/institution in order to provoke and incite them,' the order read. It said multiple cases had been registered against the two, declaring them 'potential dangers to public peace and tranquillity'. According to the order, the Civil Lines Division superintendent of police and district intelligence branch in-charge recommended their detention under the MPO for 30 days 'in order to keep the law and order situation in the city intact'. 'DEVELOPMENT PART OF PRESSURE AHEAD OF SEPT 27 PROTEST' Describing the development as part of 'pressure' ahead of the September 27 protest, Noreen said the date would be a 'historic day' in what she described as a movement for Imran's release. 'We are all part of this movement,' she told reporters, urging PTI supporters not to be afraid despite what she alleged was a crackdown involving raids on homes. She called on people to come out 'for their country and Imran Khan', alleging that her brother was being kept in custody unjustly and was not receiving proper medical treatment. 'If they think that by arresting Aleema Khan we will be frightened, they are mistaken,' she declared. Advocate Umar said an MPO(3) order had been circulating on social media and purportedly named Aleema and Ameer. However, he said, the government had not yet officially acknowledged Aleema's detention. 'We are working out a legal course of action against the arrest. The government should own the arrest so that we can seek legal remedy,' the lawyer said. He claimed that police had already informed a court that Aleema was not involved in the Jinnah House attack case pertaining to the May 9 riots. My mother, Aleema Khan, was abducted after leaving home this morning. Our family has had no contact or news of her whereabouts. She is on bail in all cases against her in Lahore. We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return.… — Shahrez Khan (@Shahrez_KhanPK) September 20, 2026 The lawyer further claimed that the MPO order appeared to have been issued after Aleema was taken into custody, and alleged that her arrest was linked to her being the sister of Imran Khan. Soon after reports emerged of Aleema's arrest, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan wrote on X: 'We have clarified that our protest will be peaceful. Our objective is to peacefully struggle for the fulfilment of our constitutional and political demands; we don't want any kind of clash or violence. 'Arresting Aleema Khan sahiba under the MPO in this situation is tantamount to fuelling violence and tension. We strongly condemn it.' He called for an end to all such actions and demanded Aleema's immediate release. The party would soon present its strategy against such actions, he said. Earlier, PTI posted on X that Aleema had been 'abducted' in Lahore from outside her home by the authorities. In another statement, the party termed the action a 'cowardly and deliberate attempt to worsen the situation'. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also demanded in a post on X that Aleema be presented in court immediately. مریم نواز کہتی ہیں خواتین ریڈ لائن ہیں۔ آج ان کی حکومت نے علیمہ خانم ، ایک بزرگ خاتون ، کو گھر کے باہر سے اغوا کر لیا۔ یہ انصاف نہیں، بزدلی ہے۔ بہن کو قید بھائی کی بات کرنے کی سزا دی جا رہی ہے۔ اگر خواتین ریڈ لائن ہیں تو علیمہ خانم کو ابھی عدالت میں پیش کرو۔ — Sheikh Waqas Akram (@SheikhWaqqas) September 20, 2026 'A sister is being punished for speaking up for her brother,' Akram alleged. BARRISTER GOHAR CONDEMNS ARREST OF IMRAN'S SISTER PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the arrest of party founder Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan and demanded her immediate release, saying the party did not want confrontation or violence. According to Barrister Gohar, Noreen Niazi informed him by telephone about Aleema Khan's arrest. مجھے نورین نیازی صاحبہ نے علیمہ خان صاحبہ کی گرفتاری کے بارے میں فون پر بتایا- ہم نے ہمیشہ واضح کیا ہے کہ ہمارا مارچ پُرامن اور سیاسی ہوگا۔ ہمارا مقصد اپنے آئینی و سیاسی مطالبات کے لیے پُرامن جدوجہد کرنا ہے، کسی قسم کا تصادم یا تشدد نہیں چاہتے - ایسے میں علیمہ خانم صاحبہ کو… pic.twitter.com/GqPjM2jbAp — Barrister Gohar Khan (@BarristerGohar) September 20, 2026 He said PTI had consistently made it clear that its September 27 march would be peaceful and political, with the party seeking to pursue its constitutional and political demands through peaceful means. Barrister Gohar said PTI did not want any kind of confrontation or violence, adding that arresting or detaining Aleema Khan amounted to creating circumstances that could fuel violence and tension. The PTI chairman strongly condemned Aleema Khan's arrest and said the move was the first step towards worsening the situation. He demanded that all such measures be stopped immediately and that Aleema Khan be released without delay. Barrister Gohar further said the party would soon announce its future course of action against such measures. Meanwhile, opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) condemned the arrest in a statement. The statement said the move was tantamount to crossing all limits of 'state oppression and political revenge'. 'The TTAP strongly condemns this step by the government, especially the Punjab government. This action exposes the Punjab government's current oppressive system,' it added. The opposition alliance said Aleema's arrest would not be tolerated and demanded her immediate release. 'The Punjab government must realise that oppression, arrests and revengeful acts cannot resolve political differences,' the TTAP said, reiterating its demand for Aleema's release, as well as that of other 'political prisoners'. 'STRING OF REPORTED ACTIONS AHEAD OF PROTEST' Aleema's arrest follows a string of reported actions against PTI in Punjab ahead of its September 27 protest. District authorities had also issued preventive detention orders against dozens of PTI workers under the MPO a week ago, including 31 in one Punjab notification and a further 14 in Toba Tek Singh. Similar reports have emerged from Islamabad, where PTI plans to march on the protest day. However, the government has vowed to stop the march, while the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that no political party or its leadership has the 'lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad'. On Saturday, the capital police took four PTI activists and workers into custody. A police officer said the activists were arrested under separate charges on a complaint lodged by a sub-inspector. Police received information that the PTI workers were holding a meeting in connection with the planned protest at a property dealer's office in the E-16 area. Subsequently, a police team was constituted to raid the venue and make arrests. Police claimed that the workers tortured members of the police team when they raided the meeting venue, besides tearing their uniforms and taking them hostage. On Thursday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said he was 'released' after being briefly detained, with the party claiming he had been held by Islamabad police. Officers in the police and capital administration also said they had started preparations to counter PTI's countrywide protest. Authorities have placed hundreds of containers at the city's entry points as the administration braces for protests.