Uzma Khan heart medication must be delivered to her in jail, the Lahore High Court directed on Monday. Justice Abher Gul Khan issued the order while hearing a petition against the preventive detention of PTI founder Imran Khan’s three sisters. Dr Uzma Khan, Aleema Khan and Noreen Niazi have now been held for nearly three weeks.
The sisters are detained under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. Dr Uzma and Ms Niazi were detained for 30 days on September 21, ahead of the party’s September 27 protest call, which was later moved to October 4. Ms Aleema Khan had been detained a day earlier, on September 20.
Uzma Khan heart medication plea heard in court
Dr Uzma’s husband, Ahad Khan, appeared before the court in person. He told the judge that his wife had a heart condition. She needs three medicines every day, he said, and he asked the court to direct the authorities to deliver them to her in jail daily.
The petition itself was filed on October 6 by Sakeena Niazi, the daughter of Ms Noreen Niazi. It challenges the preventive detention of the three women.
Their counsel, Rana Mudassar Umar, made a wider set of requests. He asked that Ms Niazi be allowed to receive clothes, medicines and spectacles in jail, calling them basic necessities and a fundamental right. He also sought permission for family members and lawyers to meet the detained women.
The counsel further asked the court to summon the Lahore capital city police officer and the deputy commissioner in person. Their appearance, he argued, would clarify the circumstances behind the detention notifications.
What the court decided, and what remains open
After hearing the arguments, the judge ordered the jail authorities to provide the medicines to Dr Uzma. He reserved his decision on the request to summon the two senior officials in person.
Monday’s hearing was the latest step in a case Feature Pakistan has followed since the families first approached the court. On October 7, the families moved the LHC for permission to meet the detained sisters, alleging that medicines were being denied. Two days later, the court sought a report from jail authorities on medicines, clothes and other basic facilities, and adjourned the hearing until October 12.
The court had already declined one early request. On September 24, it turned down a plea to suspend the detention notifications against Ms Niazi and Dr Uzma immediately.
The detentions sit inside a broader crackdown on the party. Earlier this month, Imran Khan’s cousin Qasim Zaman was also taken into custody when he went to Adiala jail to meet the former prime minister. At home, relatives have kept public pressure on the authorities; a cousin recently said Imran Khan’s sisters were on hunger strike for two days.
For now, the practical outcome is narrow but concrete. One detainee’s daily heart medicines now carry a court direction behind them. The larger questions, on meetings, on the officials’ appearance, and on the detention itself, remain before the court. (Source: Dawn)
Frequently asked questions
What did the Lahore High Court order on Uzma Khan heart medication?
The court directed jail authorities to provide heart medication to Dr Uzma Khan. Her husband told the court she has a heart condition and needs three medicines daily.
Why are Imran Khan’s sisters in detention?
Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan are held under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. Dr Uzma and Ms Niazi were detained for 30 days on September 21, ahead of a PTI protest call.
What else did the family’s counsel request?
The counsel sought clothes, medicines and spectacles for Ms Niazi, meetings with family and lawyers, and the personal appearance of the Lahore police chief and the deputy commissioner. The judge reserved his decision on summoning the officials.
