The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday disposed of a petition seeking the release of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s three sisters after the Punjab government informed the court that their detention had been extended for another 30 days.
Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi have been held under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, since September, when the PTI was preparing for a protest march towards Islamabad.
Aleema was taken into custody on September 20, while Uzma and Noreen were detained the following day. The initial detention orders were issued for 30 days.
During Monday’s hearing before Justice Abher Gul Khan, an assistant advocate general informed the court that the provincial government had approved a further 30-day detention period on the recommendation of the Lahore deputy commissioner.
The government’s counsel also submitted a report from the Punjab home secretary confirming that the detention orders had been renewed on October 7.
Justice Abher Gul Khan observed that although the deputy commissioner had issued the detention orders, the official had not been named as a respondent in the petition.
The judge noted that the court could not grant relief beyond the scope of the matter brought before it and subsequently disposed of the petition.
The plea had been filed by Shahrez Khan, Aleema’s son, through lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar, challenging the continued detention of the three women at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
The petitioner argued that the original detention periods had expired on October 19 for Aleema and October 20 for Uzma and Noreen, yet all three remained in custody.
He maintained that none of the women was wanted in any criminal case and contended that preventive detention powers should not be used as a substitute for proceedings under ordinary criminal law.
The petition sought orders for the immediate release of the three sisters and requested that the authorities be directed to produce them before the court.
Uzma’s husband, Ahad Khan, and Shahraiz Khan were also present during the proceedings.
With the government confirming the renewed detention orders, the court concluded the proceedings without directing the release of the three women.