Imran sisters' detention challenged in LHC

A petition was filed before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday challenging the 30-day detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's sisters Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), seeking their immediate release. The petition was filed by Aleema's son, Shahraiz Khan, through advocate Rana Mudasar Umar, challenging the detention orders issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner on September 20 and seeking the immediate release of the three women. The detentions came as authorities stepped up action against PTI ahead of the party's planned September 27 march in Islamabad. The petition said Aleema was picked up while travelling with her driver for personal work and that both were currently confined at Lahore Central Jail. According to reports, police also detained Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi for 30 days under the 3 MPO. The petitioner said there was no public gathering or situation suggesting any threat to public order when Aleema was detained. Challenging the grounds for detention, the petition said the allegations were linked to a police case in which Aleema had sought pre-arrest bail. It said the matter had remained pending for around one-and-a-half years before police ultimately declared her innocent. The petition further argued that the grounds of detention must contain sufficient particulars to enable a detainee to make an effective representation, and alleged that constitutional safeguards governing communication of those grounds had not been properly observed. Reacting to the detentions, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the "unjustified arrest" of the Khan sisters, with along attacks on and arrests of party workers, ministers and parliamentarians in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, had increased their responsibilities. "We will have to move forward with prudence and unity," Raja said in a social media post. He added that a committee had been formed to run party affairs in Lahore through consultation and consensus, with a consultation meeting scheduled for Tuesday. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said Imran Khan's family members had been placed in an armoured vehicle and taken to an undisclosed location. He alleged that Punjab police had arrested both sisters along with their children and Aleema Khan's sons. In a separate statement, PTI condemned what it called the "illegal and high-handed action" of Punjab police, alleging that the arrests amounted to an abuse of authority, violation of fundamental rights and "political victimisation". Imran's son Kasim Khan also criticised the arrests in posts on X, calling the detention of his aunts "a disgrace". He alleged that people had entered their homes and forced family members into vehicles without explanation. He later said some children were safe but alleged that two more cousins, Azeem and Sakeenah, had been arrested without their whereabouts being disclosed.