LAHORE, Sept 21 (Digital Itla): The three sisters of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan — Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — have been detained for 30 days under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, according to authorities. The detentions come days before PTI’s planned Sept. 27 protest march towards Islamabad, which the party has linked to demands for Imran Khan’s release and what it describes as the restoration of constitutional rule. According to detention orders issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were ordered to be detained for 30 days and placed in the custody of the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail. Aleema Khan had also been detained under the same law a day earlier.
Reasons Given for the Detentions
The detention orders refer to reports prepared by police and the District Intelligence Branch. According to those reports, authorities said the activities of Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan could pose a threat to public safety and the maintenance of law and order. The reports cited allegations relating to previous protests, road blockades and attempts to mobilise party workers. They also alleged that the women had encouraged workers to damage public and government property. The detention orders said the District Intelligence Committee had reviewed the material presented by police and recommended that the three women be detained for 30 days.
Similar grounds were cited in the detention order issued against Aleema Khan.
PTI to Challenge Detentions in Court
PTI has rejected the detention orders and described the arrests as unlawful, demanding the immediate release of the three women. PTI lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar said the family had decided to approach the Lahore High Court against the arrests and detention orders involving Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan, Noreen Niazi and other family members. The petitions challenge the legal basis of the detention and seek the cancellation of the orders. PTI has maintained that its planned Sept. 27 protest is intended to be peaceful and political. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party wanted to pursue its constitutional and political demands through peaceful means and did not seek confrontation or violence.
Sept. 27 Protest
The detentions come as PTI prepares for a planned march towards Islamabad on Sept. 27 to demand Imran Khan’s release and what the party calls the supremacy of the Constitution. Security measures have been increased in parts of Islamabad ahead of the planned protest, while the Punjab government has also imposed restrictions on public gatherings under Section 144. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned that the government would not allow anyone to disrupt public order in the capital. Naqvi has also referred to a recent Islamabad High Court ruling concerning PTI’s planned protest. The court said political parties and public office holders did not have the authority to block public roads and directed provincial governments to ensure that state resources were not used for political purposes. The government has said that any violation of court orders or actions that threaten public order could result in legal proceedings.
What is 3-MPO?
Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, gives authorities powers to place individuals in preventive detention when they believe their activities could threaten public safety or the maintenance of public order. The law provides for detention for a specified period, subject to legal safeguards and review requirements. Detention orders can be challenged through the available legal process. The detention of Imran Khan’s three sisters is now being challenged before the Lahore High Court, where the court will consider the legal grounds and procedure followed in issuing the orders. The case comes amid heightened political tensions between the government and PTI ahead of the party’s planned Sept. 27 protest.
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