Pakistan Extends Detention of Imran Khan’s Sisters by 30 Days Amid Escalating Political Tensions
- •Punjab provincial authorities extended the confinement of Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Dr. Uzma Khan by 30 days.
- •The ongoing detentions are enforced under a contentious public safety ordinance within Kot Lakhpat Jail.
- •PTI stalwart Moonis Elahi publicly denounced the government's action as a politically engineered maneuver.
LAHORE — Provincial administration officials in Pakistan's Punjab region confirmed an extension of the preventative detention order for Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Dr. Uzma Khan, the sisters of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan, keeping them locked inside Kot Lakhpat Jail for another month.
This latest administrative measure builds upon an escalating crackdown against the leadership and inner circle of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. The siblings have been targeted under stringent public safety statutes that grant wide latitude to law enforcement agencies to detain individuals without immediate formal charges, a tactic increasingly utilized amid the country's turbulent political climate.
According to reports by The Hindu, senior PTI figure Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the prolonged confinement, dismissing the legal justifications as a sham and labeling the entire ordeal as transparently politically motivated. Opposition representatives argue that these continuous actions are designed to demoralize party loyalists and silence familial advocates of the former prime minister.
Legal representatives for the Khan family are expected to challenge the 30-day extension in superior courts, setting the stage for renewed judicial battles. As political polarization deepens across Pakistan, observers warn that these heavy-handed measures will likely provoke broader public unrest and further galvanize anti-government sentiment.