Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Punjab on Sunday strongly condemned the reported arrest of Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, and alleged that party workers were also being arrested in large numbers.
“The party strongly condemns the arrest of Aleema,” the PTI Central Punjab spokesperson, retired Brigadier Mushtaq, said. He also alleged that a large number of PTI workers were being detained as part of a crackdown on the party.
Mushtaq also said that Aleema had been shifted to an undisclosed location. “This government has become fearful of a popular revolution,” he said.
اس ناجائز حکومت اور انکے ناجائز اقتدار پر قابض ہینڈلرز نے علیمہ خانم کو انکے گھر کی باہر سے اغواء کر لیا۔
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 20, 2026
The statements came shortly after family sources reported that Aleema was intercepted by police while travelling from her residence on Canal Road towards Gymkhana Club for a private engagement.
According to the family sources, Aleema was travelling towards Gymkhana Club when police intercepted her vehicle and took her into custody along with her driver and the car. They said she had left her residence around 1:15pm to 1:20pm after offering Zuhr prayers.
علیمہ خان @Aleema_KhanPK اس گاڑی میں گھر سے ڈرائیور کے ہمراہ نکلیں تھیں۔ رابطہ بند ہونے کے بعد معلوم ہوا کہ گاڑی تھانے میں موجود ہے جبکہ علیمہ خان تھانے میں موجود نہیں۔
علیمہ خان کو گرفتار کرکے کوٹ لکھپت جیل منتقل کر دیا گیا ہے!#ستمبر27_لانگ_مارچ_بالقسط pic.twitter.com/vC3E80tfkJ
— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) September 20, 2026
According to the family sources, she was subsequently taken towards Lytton Road and was expected to be shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail under the MPO law. It is pertinent to mention that the area where she was allegedly intercepted does not fall under the jurisdiction of Lytton Road Police Station.
Her reported arrest comes a week ahead of PTI’s planned long march to Islamabad on September 27. The PTI has announced the march as part of its protest campaign demanding the release of Imran.
The PTI had announced that it would march to Islamabad on September 27 to press for the release of founder Imran Khan. The party had been preparing a central convoy from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before proceeding towards the federal capital.
The development comes amid heightened tensions over the planned march. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned that no such march would be allowed to enter Islamabad.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has condemned the arrest of Aleema, saying it was the first step towards worsening the situation. “Our march will be peaceful and political. We do not want any kind of confrontation or violence,” he said, adding that the party’s objective was to pursue a peaceful struggle for constitutional and political demands.
Gohar said arresting Aleema or detaining her under the MPO amounted to fuelling tensions. He called on the government to immediately stop such measures and release her. He added that the party would soon announce its course of action against such measures.
There was no immediate official confirmation of Aleema’s reported arrest.
