LHC summons Punjab officials over detention of Imran Khan’s sisters

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned Punjab’s home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent over the detention of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s three sisters.

A petition says their 30-day detention orders under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance expired on October 19 and 20, but they remain in custody.

Why did the LHC summon Punjab officials over Imran Khan’s sisters?

Justice Abher Gul Khan directed the home secretary and the jail superintendent to appear in person and submit their responses to a petition filed by Aleema Khan’s son, Shahrez Khan.

The petition argues that Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan remain in custody after their detention orders expired. The hearing was adjourned until October 28.

What did the judge say about the Lahore deputy commissioner?

During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Khan questioned why the Lahore deputy commissioner, who issued the detention notification, had not been named as a respondent. Petitioner’s lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar said the official had been left out because the notification had expired.

Uzma Khan’s husband, Ahad Khan, also approached the court’s rostrum and requested that the deputy commissioner be summoned. The judge observed that the official could not be called because he was not a party to the proceedings.

Why were Imran Khan’s sisters detained and what does the petition argue?

The three women were detained in September under the Punjab MPO Ordinance, 1960, for 30 days, as Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party prepared for a planned protest march towards Islamabad. Umar told the court the detention orders for Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan expired on October 19 and 20.

Filed on Wednesday, the petition says the three women remain in custody despite the expiry of their orders. It challenges the detentions on constitutional and legal grounds, citing Article 10 of Pakistan’s Constitution and safeguards under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance.

The petitioner has asked the court to declare the detention orders unlawful and direct the authorities to release the three women.