Pakistan Detains Imran Khan Sisters and Clears Hospital Beds Ahead of September 27 March on Islamabad

Lahore's deputy commissioner detained Imran Khan's three sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Niazi, under 30-day preventive orders issued September 20 under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, citing their alleged role in the May 9, 2023 protests and ongoing efforts to mobilize workers 12. PTI says the sisters, along with children and other family members, were taken to an undisclosed location in armored vehicles, with the children later released 34. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said roughly 1,500 workers, five MNAs, and one provincial minister have been detained this week, and lawyers for the sisters have filed a habeas petition with the Lahore High Court 14. Separately, documents obtained by Drop Site show federal health authorities ordered Islamabad hospitals to postpone elective surgeries, recall staff from leave, and prepare for a possible "mass casualty incident," instructions that had begun delaying scheduled procedures as of Monday 45. Amnesty International called the detentions of Khan's family and PTI activists "a flagrant violation" of rights to liberty and assembly 6. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned PTI against proceeding with its planned September 27 march on Islamabad 3.