Police arrest Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan’s sister in Lahore ahead of party’s planned march

By Mubasher ‌Bukhari

LAHORE, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Police arrested ​Aleema Khan, the sister of Pakistan's jailed ex-prime ⁠minister Imran Khan at her house in Lahore, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Punjab spokesman said on ​Sunday, ahead of a planned protest march by ‌the party on September 27.

A notification issued by Lahore's district administration said she has ⁠been arrested and sent to ⁠jail for 30 days.

"According to intelligence reports, her presence at any public place will pose a grave threat to ‌public safety," the district administration said.

Imran Khan's ⁠party has organised a ‌march to Islamabad next ​week demanding his release. 

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that the ‌government would do everything it ​could to stop ⁠the protest march. 

A close aide to ‌Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, ⁠described the arrest of Khan's sister as "absolutely despicable".

"The fear of the 27th protest is ​clearly taking ‌its toll," Bukhari added.

(Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; ⁠writing by Anusha Shah ​in Bengaluru; editing by Lincoln Feast ​and Christina Fincher)