Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, was detained by police in Lahore under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, party sources said on Sunday.
Aleema had left her residence on Upper Mall for a gym when police took her into custody. She was later transferred to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The sources said Lytton Road police detained Aleema, while her vehicle remained at the police station.
The development comes amid renewed political tensions between the PTI and the government ahead of the party’s planned September 27 protest in Islamabad.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party remains in favour of political dialogue, but acknowledged that the atmosphere surrounding negotiations is currently “cold”. He maintained that political disputes should be resolved through political means and that all sides would need to show flexibility.
The PTI has announced a nationwide protest and a march towards Islamabad on September 27, calling for the release of Imran Khan and the supremacy of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Senate Opposition Leader and Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Vice Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had met opposition representatives.
Abbas said the opposition had conveyed its position to the interior minister and made it clear that only Imran Khan could decide whether the September 27 march would be postponed.
Gohar, when asked about his contacts with Naqvi, did not deny that meetings had taken place, saying political contacts continued.
The PTI chairman also spoke about police affairs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying efforts were being made to strengthen the provincial police force. He said the provincial government had allocated Rs45 billion to the police department during the previous year.
Gohar said there would be no political interference in police matters and that the chief minister’s authority would be exercised to improve the department rather than for personal purposes.
