Aleema Khan defiant after arrest of sons in May 9 violence cases

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has reacted strongly to the arrest of her two sons, Shahrez Khan and Shershah Khan, in cases linked to the May 9 violence.

Speaking alongside lawyer Salman Akram Raja on Friday, she said security personnel surrounded her son’s car before detaining him and insisted that her family would not be intimidated.

She described the arrests as pressure tactics against her family, claiming that the purpose was to silence Imran Khan’s message. “If you think we will be frightened, that is not the case,” she told reporters. “We are standing by our brother for a great cause.”

Another son of Aleema Khan arrested over May 9 violence

What happened in court?

Shahrez Azeem was produced before Lahore’s anti-terrorism court a day after his arrest in connection with arson and vandalism during the May 9 unrest. Police requested a 30-day physical remand, arguing that he had been nominated in a supplementary statement in the Jinnah House attack case and that his mobile phone and belongings still needed to be recovered.

Special Judge Manzar Ali Gill granted an eight-day physical remand instead. Defence counsel Salman Akram Raja questioned why police had taken 27 months to implicate Shahrez, pointing out that his name had never appeared in more than 1,500 court readings of the statement. He described the timing of the arrest, which followed Imran Khan’s bail, as “clear malafide.”

Won’t bow to pressure, says Aleema

Aleema Khan said her son, husband and daughter-in-law had been together when plainclothes men and police officials detained Shershah Khan near their home. She added that the same group had earlier arrested Shahrez.

She claimed the arrests were part of a wider attempt to block Imran Khan’s message from reaching the public. “We decided long ago that we will not bow to pressure,” she said, adding that her family had grown up hearing of sacrifices made during Pakistan’s creation and were now prepared to play their part in the struggle for what she termed “real freedom.”

ATC grants 8-day physical remand of Imran Khan's nephew in May 9 case

Aleema Khan also alleged that families celebrating Imran Khan’s bail were targeted, with even young children taken into custody. She revealed that 80 cases had already been registered against her personally and acknowledged the possibility of her own arrest at any time.

Meanwhile, Raja emphasised that Shahrez, an international-level sportsman, had travelled abroad frequently and was in Chitral between May 6 and 13, far from the scene of the violence. He called for his immediate release, noting that the court had previously held that delayed nominations in such cases suggested bad faith.

Police representatives maintained that Shahrez was not wanted in any case other than the Jinnah House attack, while the court indicated it would review the supplementary case file.