ISLAMABAD– Pakistani authorities have arrested two nephews of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with the May 9, 2023, riots that followed his detention.
Lahore police confirmed on Friday that Shershah Khan, son of Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, was taken into custody a day after his brother, Shahrez Khan, was arrested. Both arrests stem from the violent protests that erupted when supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party attacked military installations and government buildings, including the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore.
The PTI condemned the arrests, describing them as “abductions” carried out by plainclothes men. “The rule of law has been replaced with the law of the jungle,” the party wrote in a statement on social media.
On Friday, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore ordered Shahrez Khan to remain in police custody for eight days as part of the investigation into the Jinnah House attack. The court rejected a police request for a 30-day remand. His attorney, Salman Akram Raja, argued that Shahrez had no role in PTI politics, noting that Aleema Khan herself had previously been cleared in the same case.
Aleema Khan took to social media after the arrest, alleging that armed men stormed her home, assaulted staff, and harassed her family. “They forcibly took away my son in front of his two young daughters,” she wrote. “For over three years, this regime has unleashed a reign of terror, raiding homes and harassing countless civilians. Yet they have failed to break Imran Khan.”
The May 9 protests remain one of the most turbulent episodes in Pakistan’s recent political history. Following Khan’s arrest, demonstrations turned violent nationwide, prompting a sweeping crackdown. Thousands of PTI members and supporters, including senior leaders, have since been detained as authorities continue to pursue cases tied to the unrest. (Source: IANS)
