The arrest raises the risk of larger street mobilisations and potential clashes during nationwide demonstrations planned for 27 September, and puts security forces on alert ahead of the march to Islamabad.
PTI officials said Aleema Khanum was detained in Lahore on Sunday afternoon and described the move as an "illegal detention." A police official confirmed to the BBC that she had been arrested, and an order from Lahore's deputy commissioner said she had been mobilising Imran Khan's supporters "through social media and public meetings." The order adds she will be held for 30 days and is to be taken to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
Family members said they had no contact with Khanum earlier in the day. Her son, Shahrez Khan, posted on X, "We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return." The arrest prompted immediate speculation that authorities aim to blunt organiser capacity ahead of the nationwide protests when demonstrators plan to march on the capital.
Government preparations in Islamabad already include streets lined with shipping containers around key official buildings. Local media reported Pakistan's interior minister saying the planned demonstrations would harm the country and that the government would do everything it could to stop them.
The detention of Aleema Khanum adds to the charged political backdrop around Imran Khan, who has been held since 2023. He was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare money from selling gifts received while in office, and faces more than 100 cases, including accusations of leaking state secrets and selling state gifts that he rejects as politically motivated. Last year he received a 14-year sentence in a land corruption case, the longest against him, and his health has reportedly declined while in custody, with a hospital visit recorded last month.
With rallies set for 27 September, authorities and PTI supporters now face a tighter timetable for negotiation or confrontation. The arrest of a prominent family member who speaks regularly to supporters is likely to shape how organisers calibrate turnout and how security officials arrange containment over the coming days.
