Several members of the family of former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf founder Imran Khan have reportedly been detained ahead of the party’s planned September 27 protest march.
The developments have triggered a political dispute in Pakistan, with PTI alleging that members of Imran Khan’s family are being targeted ahead of the planned countrywide protest. The party has called the protest to demand Imran Khan’s release from prison and to press for what it describes as constitutional and political demands.
Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has made claims regarding the detention of several relatives. According to reports carried by Dawn and other Pakistani media outlets, Kasim alleged that his aunts Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, along with cousins Shershah and Shahrez, were taken from their homes.
Kasim also claimed that authorities entered the homes and forced some family members into vehicles without providing information about the reasons for their detention or their whereabouts. In a subsequent statement, he said two additional cousins, Azeem and Sakeenah, had also been detained.
These claims have been made by Kasim Khan and PTI and should be understood in that context. Reports have separately confirmed the detention of Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, while the legal status and circumstances involving some of the other family members have been reported differently by various sources.
Aleema Khan was detained in Lahore after the office of the Lahore Deputy Commissioner issued an order for her detention or arrest for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, commonly known as the MPO. Police sources cited by Dawn confirmed that she was taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The detention order cited concerns related to public safety and the maintenance of public order. It also referred to allegations concerning previous protests and claims that Aleema Khan and another individual could contribute to a law and order situation. The order provides for representation to the provincial government against the detention.
The detention of Aleema came approximately one week before PTI’s planned September 27 protest march. The party has announced plans for a countrywide demonstration and a march towards Islamabad, with the release of Imran Khan among its central demands.
Following Aleema’s detention, PTI officials said that Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi had also been taken into custody. Dawn reported that PTI’s lawyer confirmed that all three of Imran Khan’s sisters had been arrested, although the lawyer said he had not received detention orders concerning Uzma and Noreen at the time of the report.
Kasim Khan subsequently raised concerns about the whereabouts of his relatives. He alleged that authorities had taken family members away from their homes without providing adequate information. He also said that some children connected to the family had initially been unaccounted for, before later reporting that they were safe.
PTI has strongly criticised the reported detentions. Party representatives have demanded that the authorities disclose the whereabouts of the family members and provide information about the legal basis for their detention.
The developments are taking place against the broader political conflict surrounding Imran Khan and PTI. Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 after facing a series of legal cases. His party has repeatedly described the legal proceedings against him as politically motivated, while Pakistan’s authorities have rejected such allegations.
The September 27 protest has become a significant point of political mobilisation for PTI. Pakistani authorities have indicated that they will take measures to maintain public order during the planned demonstrations. The Islamabad High Court has also ruled that political parties and their leadership do not have a lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and government buildings in Islamabad.
There have also been reports of preventive detention orders against PTI workers in different parts of Punjab ahead of the planned protest. According to Dawn, authorities have taken action against several PTI activists and party workers in the days leading up to the demonstration.
The situation has therefore created heightened political tension ahead of September 27. PTI has maintained that its protest is intended to be peaceful and has demanded the release of political prisoners and Imran Khan.
The reports concerning Imran Khan’s relatives have attracted international attention because they involve members of the family of a former prime minister who remains a major figure in Pakistani politics.
For now, the confirmed developments include Aleema Khan’s detention under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and reports from PTI and its representatives regarding the detention of additional family members. Claims about the treatment, whereabouts and legal status of some relatives remain subject to further official clarification.
As the September 27 protest approaches, developments involving PTI leaders, workers and members of Imran Khan’s family are expected to remain closely watched. The authorities’ response and the party’s planned mobilisation could have wider implications for Pakistan’s ongoing political tensions.