LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail to appear in person on October 28 in a petition seeking the release of three sisters of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan have been in custody since September under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance in connection with the PTI’s anti-government protests.
Noreen and Uzma were detained for 30 days on September 21, ahead of the party’s planned September 27 protest, which was later rescheduled for October 4. Aleema was taken into custody on September 20.
During Thursday’s hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that the detention orders against all three women had expired on October 19 and 20, but they remained behind bars.
Justice Abher Gul Khan questioned the counsel over the omission of the Lahore deputy commissioner from the list of respondents in the petition.
The lawyer explained that the deputy commissioner had not been included because the detention notification issued by the official had already expired.
Uzma Khan’s husband, Ahed Khan, subsequently requested the court to summon the deputy commissioner as well.
Justice Abher Gul observed, however, that the official could not be summoned in the case because he had not been made a party to the proceedings.
The latest petition was filed by Shahrez Khan, Aleema Khan’s son, a day before the hearing. It challenges the continued detention of Imran Khan’s sisters at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail despite the expiry of their 30-day detention period.
The court summoned the Punjab home secretary and the jail superintendent to appear on October 28 as it takes up the matter further.
