LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sisters Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan have been detained for 30 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act, 1960, officials said on Monday.
The detention orders were issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner on the recommendation of police, according to the DC Office.
The two women were subsequently taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail, where their sister Aleema Khan is also being held following her detention a day earlier.
The arrests come as PTI prepares for nationwide protests, including a planned march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the party demanding Imran Khan’s release and what it describes as the supremacy of the Constitution.
Earlier, sources said Aleema Khan’s sons, Shahrez Khan and Sher Shah, were also briefly detained in Lahore. Their lawyer, Rana Mudassir, later confirmed that both had been released.
Mudassir said Noreen and Uzma were taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail at around 2am.
Aleema Khan was detained on Sunday while reportedly heading to a gym in Lahore and was later transferred to the same jail.
Following her sister’s detention, Noreen had questioned the arrests of women, telling reporters that she did not know why authorities were “so worried” that women were also being taken into custody.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had condemned Aleema’s arrest, saying it could further aggravate the situation.
He maintained that the party’s planned march would remain peaceful and political, saying PTI intended to pursue its constitutional and political demands through peaceful means.
“We do not want any kind of confrontation or violence,” Gohar said.
Aleema’s detention challenged in LHC
Meanwhile, a petition challenging Aleema Khan’s detention has been filed before the Lahore High Court, naming the Punjab Home Department, Lahore deputy commissioner and other authorities as respondents.
The petition was filed by her son, Shahrez Khan, through lawyer Rana Mudassir.
The petitioner maintained that Aleema was a law-abiding citizen and challenged the 30-day detention order issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner, arguing that it was contrary to the facts and circumstances of the case.
He asked the court to declare the detention order unlawful and direct the authorities to release Aleema Khan.
