— Imran’s sister picked up in Lahore under MPO days before PTI march; family alleges ‘abduction’ as Moonis Elahi calls move a ‘shitty move’
By Irum Saleem
The detention of Aleema Khan, sister of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has triggered a fresh confrontation between the PTI and the Punjab government, with her family alleging that she was “abducted” after leaving her Lahore residence and demanding that authorities immediately disclose her whereabouts.
Aleema was taken into custody on Sunday as political tensions intensified ahead of the PTI’s planned protest march towards Islamabad on Sept 27.
According to police and administrative sources, she was detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and subsequently shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail for 30 days.
The circumstances surrounding her detention initially remained unclear, prompting her family and lawyers to publicly demand information about where she had been taken.
Her son, Shahrez Khan, alleged that his mother was “abducted” after leaving home in the morning and said the family had received no information about her whereabouts.
“She is on bail in all cases against her in Lahore,” he said, demanding that the government disclose her location and ensure her safe return.
Aleema’s lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer also alleged that she was taken into custody by police while travelling with her driver and was initially moved to an undisclosed location. He questioned the basis of the detention, saying she had bail in her Lahore cases.
The latest development, however, was the emergence of an official administrative basis for the detention. A Lahore deputy commissioner’s order placed Aleema under 30-day preventive detention under the MPO, with her custody assigned to the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail. The order cited concerns relating to public safety and maintenance of law and order.
The detention comes only weeks after a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court extended Aleema’s interim bail, along with that of her sister Uzma Khan and several other PTI leaders, until Oct 6 in cases relating to the May 9 violence and arson.
The timing has added a political dimension to the episode. PTI is preparing for its Sept 27 march, which the party says is aimed at demanding Imran Khan’s release and raising concerns over his continued incarceration.
The government, meanwhile, has warned that it will take measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order ahead of the planned mobilisation.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the government would take all necessary steps to stop the protest from disrupting public order.
PTI leaders have consequently portrayed Aleema’s detention as part of a broader crackdown on the party ahead of the march.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram demanded that Aleema be produced before a court, alleging that a sister was being punished for speaking publicly for her brother.
The episode also drew a sharp reaction from former federal minister and PTI leader Moonis Elahi, who described the government’s move as a “shitty move”, directing his criticism at the Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The controversy places the Punjab administration under renewed political pressure over its use of preventive detention against PTI figures.
The MPO allows authorities to detain individuals preventively where they believe such action is necessary to maintain public order or prevent activities considered threatening to public safety.
For the PTI, however, Aleema’s detention carries a significance beyond the legal proceedings against her. She has emerged as one of the most vocal members of Imran Khan’s family, repeatedly raising issues concerning his imprisonment, access to him and the treatment of his family members.
The government’s action therefore risks becoming another flashpoint in an already highly charged political environment, with the PTI preparing for street mobilisation and the authorities signalling a determination to prevent the proposed march from escalating into another law-and-order crisis.
What began with the family’s allegation that Aleema Khan had simply disappeared after leaving home has now turned into a formally ordered preventive detention — but the political dispute over the legality, timing and purpose of the move is likely to continue well beyond her transfer to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
