LAHORE: The preventive detention of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s three sisters was challenged before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday.
Earlier today, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were detained for 30 days ahead of the party’s September 27 protest call.
The development follows the detention of Imran’s other sister, Aleema Khan, after Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) ordered her detention for 30 days on Sunday.
Shahraiz Khan, Aleema’s son, filed a petition through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, challenging the detention orders issued by the Lahore DC against his mother and two aunts.
The petition contends that the DC unlawfully issued the detention orders and failed to follow the procedure prescribed under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
It argues that the orders contain no specific allegations and demonstrate no application of mind.
It also says that ordinary criminal law and less restrictive measures were not considered.
The petition further contends that the grounds for detention were not communicated within the required period, alleging that the detention orders were issued after the arrests.
It asks the court to set aside the detention orders issued by the Lahore DC and declare them unlawful.
The detention has come amid reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its September 27 countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party has called to demand Imran’s release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution.
In an order dated Sept 20, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Lahore DC Office ordered that Noreen and Uzma be detained for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, stating that the two were “prejudicial to the public safety and maintenance of public order”.
Aleema Khan was also detained under a similar order on Sunday.
Party’s Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram had accused Punjab police of “arresting both sisters of Imran, along with their children and the sons of Aleema Khan”.
Akram claimed that the individuals had “been placed in an armoured vehicle and are being taken to an unknown location”.
The detentions come after a string of reported actions against the PTI in Punjab ahead of its September 27 protest.
On Sunday, Sahiwal police arrested Asad Khan Baloch, former mayor of the municipal corporation and ex-ticket holder for PTI, along with the party’s city president in Sahiwal, Muhammad Shahid Chohan.
PTI also claimed that MNAs Sanaullah Mastikhel, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Mian Ghous were taken into custody, according to the party’s information secretary.
However, the government has vowed to stop the march, and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that no political party or its leadership has the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”.
