On Tuesday, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Aleema Khan, the sister of former prime minister Imran Khan. She’s facing charges tied to a 2024 protest, according to local media.
The court in Rawalpindi took this step just a day after issuing similar warrants against Aleema for skipping court appearances related to the November 2024 protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The case accuses her of leading demonstrations, chanting anti-government slogans, vandalism, and stone-pelting.
The crackdown didn’t stop with Aleema. The court also ordered the arrest of her two guarantors. Judges told authorities to bring Aleema to court on Wednesday, no excuses this time. They threw out her request for an exemption from appearing.
And there’s more. The court sent a show-cause notice to the Superintendent of Police, demanding to know why the warrants hadn’t been carried out.
The SP now has to show up in court and explain why Aleema wasn’t arrested or produced before the judges.
Aleema’s defense team tried to buy her a day, arguing her bank account, national ID, and passport had all been blocked, which made travel and daily life tough.
The case has stirred up controversy. Aleema missed several hearings and only showed up on November 20 after the court ordered her property seized and issued 11 arrest warrants.
