Political tensions in Pakistan are rising ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned protest on September 27, with authorities stepping up warnings against the march and arresting three sisters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
A day after Aleema Khan was taken into custody, Pakistani authorities arrested Khan’s other two sisters, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan, in Lahore, according to the PTI.
The party said all three women were detained as preparations for its nationwide protest continued.
The arrests have added another layer to the growing confrontation between the government and Khan’s party, which has been demanding his release and wider political reforms.
Three of Imran Khan’s sisters arrested
According to remarks, reported by news agency AFP, PTI spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari alleged that Punjab Police raided Aleema Khan’s residence and took Khan’s sisters and other family members into custody.
All three sisters were subsequently sent to Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, he said.
The arrests came after Lahore’s deputy commissioner issued separate orders providing for their detention for 30 days under Punjab’s Maintenance of Public Order law.
The Punjab Police has not publicly responded to the allegations.
PTI has announced a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the party seeking the release of Imran Khan, who has remained behind bars since 2023.
However, the government has warned that the protest will not be allowed to disrupt normal life or block roads.
Naqvi warns PTI, hints at ‘permanent solution’
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday issued another warning to PTI, urging the party to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the September 27 march.
“There is still time; they should not go into this situation,” Naqvi said, as reported by Pakistani newspaper Dawn, while warning PTI against entering what he described as a “dead-end street”.
