Imran’s nephew Shershah handed over to Lahore police for 5 days

Aleema Khan says sons targeted for being Imran Khan’s nephews

Monitoring Desk

LAHORE:  An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday granted the police a five-day physical remand of PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots.

The Lahore Police arrested Shershah, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from outside his home on Friday. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up on Thursday, was also handed over to police custody yesterday for eight days over the same allegations.

ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over Saturday’s hearing, where PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared as Shershah’s counsel and Imtiaz Sipra as the prosecutor.

The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case. Judge Gill then granted the police Shershah’s five-day custody.

On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence.

Following the riots, the state launched a crackdown on the PTI, with thousands of protesters and top party leadership arrested. Scores of PTI leaders have recently been convicted in cases over the riots and disqualified from their parliamentary roles.

Addressing a press conference outside the Lahore ATC, Aleema said her sons had not committed any crime to warrant arrest.

“What is their crime? Their crime is that they are Imran Khan’s nephews … that they are Imran Khan’s family,” she said.

She said that the arrests aimed to put “pressure” on Imran and his family, but added that they were not succumbing to this pressure.

“This is a fight of every Pakistani — it is a duty of every Pakistani — that for this country, its freedom … they play their part,” Aleema said.

She added, “We can play our part by standing with Imran Khan, because he is standing for Pakistan.”

With both Shahrez and Shershah now in police custody, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was “alarmed” by the arrest of Imran’s two nephews.

“The fact that the arrests were made 27 months after the incident is difficult to understand for any independent observer, having occurred at a time when the trials of other accused persons have been long underway or already concluded,” the HRCP said in a statement.

The commission said it was “deeply concerned about the further backsliding of citizens’ rights and expresses its disappointment in the policing and legal system, particularly when it comes to dealing with political opponents”.

“We demand that the authorities ensure transparency and the rule of law in all such matters,” the HRCP added.

Shahrez’s wife, Maria, wrote on her newly made X account that the triathlete was in Chitral on May 9, 2023 at her family home.

She shared a purported image of the metadata of a group photo taken in Chitral that day of Shahrez with her family and friends.

Imran’s son Kasim Khan, who along with his brother Sulaiman has been more vocal in recent months about his imprisoned father, had termed his cousins’ arrests as “blatant state repression”.

Moreover, PTI founder’s sister, Aleema Khan, has claimed that her sons are being punished only because they are nephews of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Speaking to reporters outside the Anti-Terrorism Court on Saturday, she alleged that the family is being harassed as part of a campaign to put political pressure on her brother.

Aleema Khan said her sons’ sole crime is their relation to the PTI founder. “They are harassing our family so that my brother comes under pressure. But neither he nor we are afraid,” she stated. “The government can do whatever it wants, but we are not afraid.”

She criticised what she called selective justice, saying: “No one is punished for breaking the Constitution, yet we are all declared terrorists. They stole the nation’s vote, but want to silence us.”

The PTI leader’s sister questioned why justice was not being applied equally. “Shouldn’t the law do its job? Those who set fire to buildings should indeed be punished, but not a single minute of CCTV footage has been provided against us,” she said.

Aleema Khan insisted that her brother was being kept in detention only to prevent him from seeking accountability. “The PTI founder is not being released because they fear revenge,” she added.

Reiterating her stance, she urged the courts to ensure that justice is impartial and equal for all citizens. “Justice should be the same for everyone, not just for political opponents,” she emphasised.