Punjab Police detained three sisters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan over a 24-hour span this weekend, according to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The arrests came days ahead of a nationwide protest march the party has planned for September 27.
Summary
Aleema Khan was picked up from her Lahore residence on Sunday, September 20, under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960. By Monday morning, PTI said two more sisters, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, had also been detained along with several of their children. All three were moved to Kot Lakhpat Jail, where they are being held for 30 days.
Background
Imran Khan has remained in Adiala Jail since his conviction in 2023, and his party has spent much of the past two years demanding his release. PTI recently announced a fresh nationwide protest, including a long march on Islamabad scheduled for September 27, calling for what it describes as “constitutional supremacy” alongside Khan’s release.
The MPO Ordinance, a colonial-era law still on Punjab’s books, lets local authorities detain a person for up to 30 days if they’re judged a threat to public order. It doesn’t require a criminal charge or a court appearance before the detention takes effect, which is part of why PTI has repeatedly objected to its use against party figures.
Details
Lahore’s deputy commissioner, Muhammad Ali Ijaz, signed the order authorizing Aleema Khan’s detention. Reports say she was taken into custody while on her way to a gym on Sunday and transferred to Kot Lakhpat Jail shortly after.
Roughly a day later, PTI’s central information secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, posted on X that police had arrested “both sisters of Imran,” along with their children and Aleema’s sons. He said the group was placed in an armoured vehicle and driven to an undisclosed location. PTI lawyer Awais Younas Chaudhry later confirmed to Dawn that all three sisters — Aleema, Uzma, and Noreen — had been detained.
Aleema’s two sons, Shahrez Khan and Sher Shah, were also briefly held before being released, according to lawyer Rana Mudassir. Uzma and Noreen were shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail at around 2am Monday, joining Aleema. Per Dawn’s reporting, the detention order for Uzma and Noreen references their alleged involvement in the May 9 protests, accusing them of encouraging workers to damage public and government property.
Quotes
Noreen Niazi, speaking after Aleema’s initial detention, questioned why authorities were targeting women: “I do not know why they are so worried that they are arresting women as well.”
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the detentions and said the party’s planned march would stay peaceful, adding that PTI wants to pursue its demands “through peaceful means” without confrontation.
Impact
The detentions land at a sensitive moment for PTI, just a week before its planned Islamabad march. Party leaders argue the arrests are an attempt to weaken the protest before it starts by sidelining Khan’s family and, by extension, some of the movement’s most visible public faces. Punjab authorities haven’t offered an extensive public justification beyond the standard language in the MPO orders about threats to public order.
For a government already facing scrutiny over how it handles PTI-linked cases, the optics of detaining women from Khan’s own family — without formal criminal charges attached to the MPO orders — are likely to draw continued criticism from rights groups and opposition figures alike.
Conclusion
With the detentions in place for 30 days and the September 27 march still on the calendar, the standoff between PTI and Punjab authorities looks set to continue in the days ahead. Whether the detentions are challenged in court, and whether the march proceeds as planned, will shape how this story develops from here.
FAQs
Is Dr. Uzma Khan Imran Khan’s sister?
Yes. Dr. Uzma Khan is one of Imran Khan’s sisters. She was among those detained in Lahore in September 2026, along with sister Noreen Niazi, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. She has previously been active in PTI-related public appearances alongside her sisters Aleema Khan and Noreen Niazi, including outside Adiala Jail during efforts to visit Imran Khan.
Why was Imran Khan imprisoned?
Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and a former prime minister, has been held in Adiala Jail since 2023 following convictions in cases his party has consistently described as politically motivated. He has remained in custody through multiple legal proceedings since then, and PTI has made his release a central demand of its ongoing protest campaign, including the march planned for September 27.
How many Imran Khan sisters are there?
Imran Khan has four sisters in total: Aleema Khan, Dr. Uzma Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Rubina Khanum. Aleema, Uzma, and Noreen have been the most publicly active within PTI circles, frequently appearing at party events and, in September 2026, all three were detained by Punjab Police within roughly a 24-hour period.
