LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended the detention of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, by another 30 days, the Lahore High Court (LHC) was told on Monday.
A government lawyer submitted a report prepared by the Punjab home secretary to the court in connection with a petition seeking the release of the former premier’s sisters.
Aleema was detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, 1960 (MPO) on September 20 in Lahore and shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail.
A day later, her sisters, Noreen and Uzma, were detained under 3-MPO, following a recommendation from the police.
The detentions came ahead of PTI’s nationwide protest, including a planned long march on Islamabad on September 27 to demand the release of Imran and supremacy of the Constitution.
Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, filed a petition in the LHC on October 20, challenging the detention of the former premier’s sisters.
During the previous hearing on the petition, the LHC had summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail in person on October 28.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel had told the court that the detention orders for all three detained sisters had expired on October 19 and 20.
Meanwhile, the government lawyer told the LHC that the deputy commissioner had sent a proposal to the Punjab government recommending a further extension of their detention.
The government lawyer told the court that the government approved the proposal and extended the detention of all three sisters by another 30 days.
Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail appeared before the Lahore High Court in line with the court’s order.
The court subsequently disposed of Shahrez’s petition after reviewing the report submitted by the home secretary.
During the hearing, the Punjab government lawyer said that the three sisters’ detention was extended on October 7.
The petitioner’s counsel, however, requested the court to order that Aleema, Uzma and Noreen be recovered and presented before the court.
The court observed that the detention notification had been issued by the dep
