Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, openly challenged law enforcement on Friday, declaring she was ready to be arrested and imprisoned.
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi ordered the blocking of her national identity card after she repeatedly failed to appear in a case linked to the November 26 protest. The court further directed the Director General of Immigration and Passports to block her passport and instructed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmed to freeze all her bank accounts.
Despite this, Aleema and her sister Uzma Khan appeared before an ATC in Lahore the same day regarding a separate case tied to the October 5 PTI protest. Judge Manzar Ali Gul extended their interim bail until December 5, 2025.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Aleema Khan remained defiant, saying she would not be silenced by intimidation or political pressure.
“They can’t silence me. I am ready to go to jail,” she said. “KP officials offered to move me to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but I refused. Let the police arrest me.”
She reaffirmed her determination to continue speaking out despite what she described as government efforts to suppress PTI members.
Earlier, on Thursday, Rawalpindi police refrained from arresting Aleema Khan even though she voluntarily complied with the arrest warrant. She appeared at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for a hearing concerning a petition by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who sought a meeting with Imran Khan.
Rawalpindi police were present at the IHC to enforce the warrant. Aleema signed the warrant and surrendered herself, but officers surprisingly declined to detain her, telling her instead to “come back to court tomorrow.”
Outside the court, Aleema Khan reiterated her stance, stating once again that she was fully prepared for arrest.
