Islamabad [Pakistan], September 21 (ANI): Tensions have escalated in Pakistan ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's planned country-wide protests and march on September 27, following a series of preventive detentions targeting family members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and party activists.
Responding to these developments, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, stated, “The targeting of Imran Khan’s family and PTI party activists is a flagrant violation of their rights to liberty, freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Such actions speak to the severity of the current restrictions in Pakistan.”
Pant further noted, “The pre-emptive arrests of PTI members come ahead of planned country-wide protests by the party on 27 September, which government officials have openly vowed to stop. Roadblocks are already being erected in Islamabad. These developments do not bode well, especially given the authorities’ long track record of reckless and unlawful use of force against protesters. A protest cannot be deemed violent before it has even started. Pakistan’s authorities must uphold their obligations under international human rights law to facilitate peaceful assembly and refrain from unlawful measures to thwart these protests.”
Adding to the crackdown, local media reported that Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, sisters of the former Prime Minister, were detained for 30 days on Monday, following the detention of their sister Aleema Khan a day earlier.
The detentions were carried out under orders issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner. According to a report by the Pakistan-based daily Dawn, the Lahore Deputy Commissioner's office issued an order directing the 30-day detention of Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, citing that both individuals were "prejudicial to the public safety and maintenance of public order." The notification specified that Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan would be held in custody under the superintendent of Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat.
Prior to this, a Lahore Deputy Commissioner's directive on Sunday confirmed that Aleema Khan had also been placed under a 30-day detention order pursuant to the same ordinance. Another Pakistan-based daily, The Express Tribune, reported that authorities additionally ordered a 30-day detention for Aleema Khan's driver, Muhammad Ameer.
Condemning these actions, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan described the apprehension as the "first step towards worsening the situation", demanding her immediate release while reiterating the party's peaceful stance.
In a statement posted on X, he stated, “Noreen Niazi Sahiba informed me over the phone about the arrest of Aleema Khan Sahiba. We have always made it clear that our march will be peaceful and political. We aim to wage a peaceful struggle for our constitutional and political demands; we do not want any confrontation or violence. In such a situation, arresting Aleema Khan Sahiba or keeping her under house arrest under MPO is tantamount to fuelling violence and tension.”
“We strongly condemn this. This is the first step towards worsening the situation. All such measures should be stopped immediately. We demand the immediate release of Aleema Khan Sahiba. The party will soon announce its course of action against such measures,” he added, as cited in the report.
Family members have also voiced serious concern over the circumstances of the arrests. Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, claimed that his mother was taken away after departing from home on Sunday morning, adding that she had secured bail across all legal cases pending against her in Lahore, and called upon the authorities to reveal her location and guarantee her prompt release.
“My mother, Aleema Khan, was abducted after leaving home this morning. Our family has had no contact or news of her whereabouts. She is on bail in all cases against her in Lahore. We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return,” Shahrez Khan posted on X.
Similarly, Imran Khan's son, Kasim Khan, asserted that law enforcement personnel had taken his aunt into custody, characterising the incident as the "behaviour of a fascist government" while demanding that authorities grant relatives and legal counsel access to her.
“Today, my aunt, Aleema Khan, has been abducted by police in Lahore. Our family has been told nothing about where she has been taken. Her family and lawyers cannot reach her. This is the behaviour of a fascist government, abducting people, terrorising families, and trampling human rights, due process, and the rule of law while pretending to stand for democracy,” Kasim Khan wrote on X.
“First they imprisoned my father. Now they are coming after his family. We demand immediate access to her for her family and lawyers, full disclosure of where she is being held, and her immediate release. The world cannot keep looking away from what is happening in Pakistan,” he stated. (ANI)
"Targeting Imran Khan's family a flagrant violation of their rights": Amnesty International
