LAHORE (Web Desk) – Two sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan were released from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday after authorities withdrew their detention orders under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
Read also: Aleema Khan detained under 3-MPO in Lahore ahead of PTI march
Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi returned home after spending 53 days in detention, while their third sister, Aleema Khan, remained in custody.
PTI legal counsel Rana Mudassar Umer confirmed the development through a post on X, saying both women had been released following the withdrawal of their extended detention orders and had reached home safely.
Another PTI lawyer, Taimur Malik, welcomed their release but questioned the legality of the detention orders. He demanded that other individuals being held under similar MPO provisions should also be released.
The two sisters had been detained in September under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, along with Aleema Khan, as PTI prepared for a protest march towards Islamabad.
The Lahore deputy commissioner initially ordered their detention for 30 days. However, after the initial period expired, the Punjab government extended the orders for another 30 days.
The continued detention was challenged before the Lahore High Court, where provincial authorities informed the court about the extension.
Family raises questions over detention
Noreen Niazi’s son, Wali, expressed serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding his mother’s imprisonment and subsequent release.
In a statement posted on X, he said the two women had remained detained for 53 days without facing a criminal trial.
He questioned why the authorities had kept them in custody for such a prolonged period before withdrawing the detention orders.
Wali also raised concerns over his mother’s health, saying the family had not been informed when she was taken to a cardiac hospital during her detention.
He described both the detention and subsequent release as arbitrary and called for judicial scrutiny of the decisions.
Health concerns during imprisonment
Noreen Niazi’s health had become a matter of concern after she was transferred from Kot Lakhpat jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on October 28 following complaints of high blood pressure.
At the time, her legal representatives alleged that family members had not been informed about her medical condition or transfer to the hospital.
PTI strongly criticised the handling of the matter, expressing concern over the health and treatment of detained political figures.
However, the government rejected suggestions that her condition was serious.
Speaking in the Senate on October 29, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the information available to the government indicated that Noreen was in satisfactory health and that her medical test results were normal following treatment.
Aleema Khan remains in custody
Despite the release of Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, their sister Aleema Khan, who was the first of the three to be detained, remained in jail as of Thursday.
The development has renewed questions from PTI representatives about the use of preventive detention laws against political figures and their family members.
Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance provides authorities with preventive detention powers under specified circumstances. However, the legality of individual detention orders remains subject to judicial review.
PTI lawyers have maintained that the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters was unjustified and have called for the release of others being held under similar orders.
The release of the two women marks a significant development in the legal dispute surrounding the detention of the former prime minister’s family members, although Aleema Khan’s continued imprisonment remains unresolved.
