LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — The Lahore High Court on Monday ordered jail authorities to arrange a meeting on Tuesday between Noreen Niazi, a sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, and her two daughters, and summoned the Lahore deputy commissioner to explain the extended detention of Noreen and her sister Uzma Khan.
Justice Abher Gul Khan told the deputy commissioner to appear in person on November 4. The hearing of a separate petition against the fresh detention of a third sister, Aleema Khan, was adjourned until next week.
The three sisters were detained in September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance as the PTI prepared for a protest march to Islamabad. Aleema was held on September 20 for 30 days, and Noreen and Uzma the next day for the same period. The Punjab government later told the court the orders had been extended by another 30 days.
Their lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umar, argued that the extensions were unlawful and asked the court to declare the new notifications illegal. He also said the women had not been allowed to meet family members or lawyers. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told the court that Aleema’s driver had also been detained and asked for leniency for him.
Noreen was moved from Kot Lakhpat jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology last month on the advice of jail doctors. Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, later told the Senate that she was fine after treatment.
