Sister of Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan arrested

Aleema Khanum is accused of mobilising her brother’s supporters ahead of country-wide protests. Aleema Khanum, pictured in January 2025 outside Adiala jail, speaking to the media after her brother's jail sentence The sister of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister, Imran Khan, has been arrested ahead of next week's protests held in his support, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has said. Aleema Khanum was detained in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday afternoon, PTI officials said, calling it an "illegal detention". Her son is demanding her return. The order for Khanum's arrest, which came from Lahore's deputy commissioner, alleged that she was mobilising Imran Khan's supporters "through social media and public meetings".

It added that she will be detained for 30 days. Khanum is a vocal critic of her brother's detention, regularly speaking to his supporters and the media. A police official confirmed Khanum's arrest to the BBC. According to the order, she will be taken to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Earlier in the day, her family said they had had "no contact or news of her whereabouts". "We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return," Khanum's son Shahrez Khan wrote on X. Many have linked her arrest to the protests that have been organised across the country on 27 September, when demonstrators plan