Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, has been arrested in Lahore just days before a planned protest march by his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The arrest has heightened political tensions in Pakistan, where Imran Khan has been in prison for over a year and his party has faced a sustained crackdown by the authorities.

The Arrest in Lahore

Aleema Khan was taken into custody in Lahore ahead of the PTI’s planned protest march. Party supporters see the move as an attempt to intimidate the opposition and disrupt mobilisation for the demonstration.

The PTI has condemned the detention, while the specific charges had not been publicly detailed at the time of reporting.

Days Before the Protest March

The timing of the arrest, coming just days before the planned march, has drawn sharp reactions from PTI leaders and supporters. The party has called for nationwide protests demanding Imran Khan’s release.

Previous PTI protest calls have led to street confrontations with police, and the authorities have typically responded with heavy security deployments.

The Bigger Picture

Imran Khan’s imprisonment and the pressure on his family and party colleagues remain the central fault line in Pakistani politics. His sister has been among the most vocal public faces of the campaign for his release.

How the coming days unfold, both on the streets and in the courts, will shape the next phase of Pakistan’s political crisis.

Pakistan’s political crisis has deepened steadily since Imran Khan’s ouster as prime minister in 2022, with his party alleging that the cases against him are politically motivated. The government denies the charge and says the law is taking its course. With the protest march approaching, all eyes will be on whether the streets stay calm or tensions boil over.

For now, the PTI says the march will go ahead as planned, setting the stage for a tense few days in Pakistani politics.