Lahore court summons officials in case of ex-PM Imran Khan’s sisters — Dawn

The Lahore High Court in Pakistan has summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail in a case concerning the release of three sisters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The officials must personally appear at the hearing on October 28 and submit reports to the court, Dawn reports.

Petition for release

The petition was filed by Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan. He challenged the continued detention of Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan at Kot Lakhpat Jail after the expiration of their 30-day preventive detention period.

According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Rana Mudassar Umar, the detention orders for the three women expired on October 19 and 20, but they were not released. The case was heard by Justice Abher Gul Khan.

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Detention during protest preparations

Imran Khan’s sisters were detained in September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960. This happened as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was preparing for a planned protest march to Islamabad. The detention period was 30 days.

In the petition, Shahrez Khan claims that the detention of his mother and her sisters is connected to their efforts to secure their brother’s release. The petitioner also insists that preventive detention cannot replace ordinary criminal proceedings and asks the court to declare the detention orders invalid and release the women.

Uzma Khan’s husband, Ahad Khan, asked for the Lahore deputy commissioner to be summoned as well. The judge noted that he could not summon the official because he was not named as a party to the petition.