PTI on Monday claimed that more of the former prime minister and party founder Imran Khan’s family members were “arrested”, including his two sisters — Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi.
The development follows the detention of Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, after Lahore’s deputy commissioner (DC) ordered her detention or arrest for 30 days on Sunday.
Aleema’s arrest came amid reports of a crackdown on the 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 post on X in the early hours of Monday, the party’s Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram accused Punjab police of “arresting both sisters of Imran, along with their children and the sons of Aleema Khan”.
Akram claimed that the individuals had “been placed in an armoured vehicle and are being taken to an unknown location”.
PTI lawyer Awais Younas Chaudhry confirmed to Dawn that all three of Imran’s sisters had been arrested.
“Earlier Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan were confined to their house, but on Monday morning they were taken to an unknown place,” he claimed.
Chaudhry said that Aleema was detained for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 (MPO).
“However, we have not received any orders regarding Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, due to which I can not confirm whether they will be released soon or they are also detained for 30 days,” he told Dawn.
PTI, in a post on X, condemned the alleged arrest, calling it a “blatant abuse of authority, a violation of fundamental rights, and an act of political victimisation”.
“Such conduct is illegal, unconstitutional, and is condemned in the strongest possible terms,” the party said.
Meanwhile, Imran’s son Kasim Khan, in a post on X, alleged that Uzma and Noreen had been “abducted”.
“This is a disgrace,” Kasim wrote, claiming that authorities had “broken into my aunties and cousins houses and forced them into vehicles with no explanation”.
“No reasons for arrest have been stated. No news has been released as to where they have been taken,” he wrote.
Aleema’s detention
On Sunday, the office of Lahore’s deputy commissioner (DC) ordered Aleema’s detention or arrest for 30 days.
The September 20 order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said DC Muhammad Ali Ijaz had ordered the detention or arrest of Aleema and a man named Muhammad Ameer under the Punjab MPO.
The MPO ordinance allows the authorities to order detention and restrict judicial review of such orders.
Following the arrest, Aleema’s sister Noreen addressed a press conference in Lahore, flanked by her sister’s counsel, Advocate Mudassir Umar.
Noreen claimed Aleema was “picked up” along with her driver after she left her residence on Saturday, and they 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.
Police sources had confirmed to Dawn on Sunday that Aleema was taken to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
Detentions ahead of Sept 27 protest
The detentions come after a string of reported actions against the PTI in Punjab ahead of its September 27 protest.
On Sunday, Sahiwal police arrested Asad Khan Baloch, former mayor of the municipal corporation and ex-ticket holder for PTI, along with the party’s city president in Sahiwal, Muhammad Shahid Chohan.
PTI also claimed that MNAs Sanaullah Mastikhel, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Mian Ghous were taken into custody, according to the party’s information secretary.
District authorities had also issued preventive detention orders against dozens of PTI workers under MPO a week ago, including 31 in one Punjab notification and a further 14 in Toba Tek Singh.
Similar reports have come from Islamabad, where the PTI plans to march on the protest day.
However, the government has vowed to stop the march, and 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”.
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