LAHORE: Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, was detained by Lahore police under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law on Sunday, according to party and family sources.
Sources said Aleema had left her residence in Lahore’s Upper Mall area to go to a gym when she was taken into custody by Lytton Road police. She was subsequently shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail, while her vehicle remained at the police station.
Other reports also confirmed her detention under the MPO law, although details regarding the exact legal order and circumstances surrounding her transfer remained subject to official clarification.
The detention comes as PTI prepares for a nationwide protest and a planned march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the party demanding the release of Imran Khan and calling for the supremacy of the Constitution.
Gohar says negotiations have made no progress
Speaking to Geo News in Peshawar, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party remained open to negotiations with the government but acknowledged that no progress had been made.
“Negotiations should take place, but currently the environment is cold; nothing could be worked out,” Gohar said.
He maintained that political disputes required political solutions and that all sides would need to take steps towards resolving their differences.
Gohar’s remarks came a day after Senate Opposition Leader and Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Vice Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had met opposition leaders.
According to Abbas, the opposition leaders conveyed their position to Naqvi and said that only Imran Khan could decide whether the September 27 march should be postponed.
Gohar did not deny having meetings with Naqvi, saying that contacts between the sides were continuing.
“I do not deny meetings with Mohsin Naqvi; meetings keep happening,” he said.
Non-Bailable Arrest Warrants Issued for Aleema Khan in November 26 Protest Case
PTI says protest will not block roads
Gohar also discussed preparations for the September 27 protest and concerns surrounding recent court directions regarding the use of government resources.
He said the party would not violate the law or block roads during its protest.
“We will not break any law during the protest, nor will we block roads,” Gohar said, adding that government resources would not be used for the planned march towards Islamabad.
The remarks came after an Islamabad High Court ruling directing provincial governments and chief ministers to ensure that government resources were not used to facilitate participation in protests heading towards the federal capital.
The court also directed that no public servant should be compelled to participate in a march towards Islamabad.
Following the ruling, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed directed police officers not to facilitate any march, rally or procession heading towards the capital.
Gohar said an impression should not be created that the people and police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would eventually be placed in confrontation with each other.
Gohar discusses KP police reforms
The PTI chairman said efforts were underway to increase the capacity of the KP police, noting that the provincial government had spent Rs45 billion on the police department during the previous year.
He said there would be no political interference in police affairs.
Regarding the KP chief minister’s authority over the police, Gohar said the powers would be used for institutional improvement rather than personal preferences.
“The chief minister will take steps for the improvement of the police,” he said.
The latest political developments come amid continued tensions between PTI and the federal government, with the party maintaining its demand for Imran Khan’s release and the government facing calls to address the opposition’s concerns through political dialogue.
