Families move LHC to meet Imran Khan's detained sisters, allege denial of medicines
Families move LHC to meet Imran Khan’s detained sisters, allege denial of medicines
The families of Imran Khan’s sisters have approached the Lahore High Court, seeking permission for themselves and their lawyers to meet the detained Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan.
Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar filed two separate civil miscellaneous applications on behalf of Shah Raiz Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, and Sakeena Niazi, the daughter of Noreen Niazi, in the pending main writ petitions challenging the detentions.
The applications allege that the three sisters are being denied medicines and meetings with their family members and counsel. They contend that the sisters have been illegally detained and that neither their lawyers nor family members are being allowed to meet them or deliver medicines.
According to the pleas, medicines were provided to the detained women on only one occasion, and no one has subsequently been allowed to meet them. The applications express serious concern over the health of the PTI founder’s sisters and seek court directions allowing their lawyers and family members to meet them and provide medicines.
Background: detention of the three sisters
The three sisters were detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order law ahead of the PTI’s protest march on Islamabad. Aleema Khan was detained at her Lahore residence on September 20, while Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were taken into custody a day later after holding a press conference. The women were shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore.
The detentions came as the PTI planned a major protest march to demand Imran Khan’s release, a standoff that has continued with the party warning it could quit the assemblies if governor’s rule is imposed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
On September 24, the Lahore High Court turned down a request to immediately suspend the notifications for their preventive detention, issuing notices to the Punjab government and other respondents instead and seeking their replies.
What the new applications for Imran Khan’s sisters seek
The fresh applications do not ask the court to suspend the detention orders again. Instead, they focus on the conditions of detention: access for family members and lawyers, and the delivery of medicines. The petitioners want the court to direct the jail authorities to allow regular meetings and to accept medicines for the detained women.
The applications will be taken up alongside the main writ petitions challenging the legality of the 30-day detention orders.
What happens next
The court is expected to issue notices on the new applications and seek a response from the Punjab government and jail authorities about the alleged denial of meetings and medicines. The main petitions against the detention orders remain pending.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Imran Khan’s detained sisters?
Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, the three sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan, who were detained in Lahore in the third week of September and are held at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Why were Imran Khan’s sisters detained?
They were detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order law ahead of the PTI’s planned protest march on Islamabad, with the authorities citing threats to public order.
What did the LHC decide on September 24?
The Lahore High Court declined to immediately suspend the preventive detention notifications and instead issued notices to the Punjab government and other respondents, seeking their replies.
