Their detentions came hours after their sister Aleema Khan was arrested
Two sisters of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have been detained ahead of a planned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest march.
Uzma Khan and Noureen Niazi were taken into custody alongside other family members, according to Khan’s family and the PTI party.
Their detentions came hours after their sister Aleema Khan was arrested from her home in Lahore under Pakistan’s Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.
The arrests come days before the PTI’s planned march on September 27, which is calling for Imran Khan’s release.
The party confirmed the detentions on Monday, with spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram saying Punjab Police had arrested both sisters.
Akram also claimed their children and the sons of Aleema Khan were detained.
He said the family members were taken to an unknown location in an armoured vehicle.
Kasim Khan, Imran Khan’s son, also criticised the arrests in a post on X.
He claimed authorities entered his relatives’ homes and forced them into vehicles without explaining the detentions.
Aleema Khan was detained on Sunday after Lahore’s deputy commissioner issued a 30-day preventive detention order under the MPO law.
The law allows authorities to detain individuals as a preventive measure on public safety grounds.
Aleema’s lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umer, said the detentions had been challenged in the Lahore High Court.
The arrests have also drawn criticism from PTI leaders, who have linked them to the party’s campaign surrounding Imran Khan’s imprisonment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned the PTI against continuing with its planned September 27 demonstration.
Naqvi said the party should reconsider the planned march and referred to a recent court order concerning political parties occupying public roads.
He said the PTI should adopt a different approach rather than proceeding with the demonstration.
Imran Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following a series of convictions.
His PTI party has described the convictions as politically motivated, while several of the convictions have since been suspended or overturned on appeal.
Concerns surrounding Khan’s health have also become part of the PTI’s campaign for his release.
The former prime minister has reportedly required specialist treatment for an issue affecting his right eye.
Last month, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Khan to a private hospital in Islamabad for medical care.
However, authorities instead transferred him to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for a brief check-up before returning him to prison.
Khan’s party said the decision breached the Supreme Court’s order and raised further concerns about his access to medical treatment.
The planned PTI march is expected to keep attention on Khan’s imprisonment and the treatment of his family members in the days ahead.
