The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, October 22, summoned two of Punjab's senior officials — the provincial home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail — to appear before it in person on October 28, in a case challenging the continued detention of former prime minister Imran Khan's three sisters. The court's order came after the women's counsel told the bench that their 30-day detention orders had expired on October 19 and 20, yet all three remain behind bars at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.
Justice Abher Gul Khan took up the petition on Thursday. It was filed a day earlier by Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, and seeks the production and release of Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan — the three sisters of the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder.
What the court ordered on Thursday
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel submitted that the detention orders of all three women had expired on October 19 and 20, but the jail authorities had not released them. The bench then directed the Punjab home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent to appear in person on October 28, along with their reports on the matter, and adjourned the hearing.
Justice Khan also questioned the counsel about why the Lahore deputy commissioner had not been made a respondent in the petition. The counsel replied that the deputy commissioner had not been impleaded because the detention notification issued by that official had already expired. When Uzma Khan's husband approached the rostrum and requested that the court summon the deputy commissioner as well, the judge observed that the official could not be summoned since he had not been made a party to the case.
The September detentions under the MPO Ordinance
All three sisters were detained by authorities in September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI geared up for a planned protest march toward Islamabad. Their detention was ordered for 30 days. According to Geo News, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan were detained for 30 days on September 21, shortly before the PTI's planned September 27 protest — which was subsequently moved to October 4 — while Aleema Khan's detention had taken place a day earlier, on September 20. Dawn's newspaper edition reports the sisters were taken into custody on September 20, with the deputy commissioner issuing detention orders the same day under Section 3 of the MPO.
The petition states that despite the lapse of the 30-day period, Imran Khan's sisters remain at Kot Lakhpat jail. It names the Punjab home secretary (in his capacity as grievance redressal commissioner), the inspector general of police, the capital city police officer and the central jail superintendent as respondents.
Shahrez Khan's fresh petition: the core arguments
The fresh plea, filed on Wednesday, contends that the continued detention is against the law and the fundamental rights of the detainees. Its key arguments, as reported by Dawn, are:
- The three sisters are not wanted in any criminal case, and the petitioner fears they may be implicated in false cases if they are not released.
- Their detention is malicious and stems from their efforts to secure their brother's release.
- Preventive detention cannot be used as a substitute for proceedings under ordinary criminal law.
- The detention orders violate Article 10 of the Constitution and the safeguards of Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance.
The petitioner has asked the court to declare the detention orders void, order the release of the detainees, and suspend the operation of the orders.
It is worth noting that two earlier petitions against the detention orders were disposed of on October 9 and 12 by the LHC, which directed the home department to decide the pending representations. The court had expressed no opinion on the merits of the case at that stage.
What happens next: the October 28 hearing
All eyes will now be on Wednesday, October 28, when the Punjab home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent must personally appear before Justice Abher Gul Khan with their reports. Their explanation for why the three women remain in custody after their detention orders expired will likely determine whether the court orders their immediate release or extends the legal proceedings.
The petitioner's request to have the detention orders declared void — and their operation suspended in the meantime — gives the court a direct route to ordering the sisters' liberty if it finds the continued detention unlawful.
Why it matters
This case sits at the intersection of preventive-detention law and one of Pakistan's most politically charged family sagas. The MPO Ordinance allows the state to detain individuals preventively to maintain public order, but the petition argues that holding the sisters beyond the expiry of their 30-day orders — without any criminal case against them — crosses into unlawful detention.
For readers following the Imran Khan story, the case matters because the sisters have been among the most visible public faces of the campaign for the jailed former prime minister's release. Related coverage: Pakistan detains hundreds of PTI members under KP emergency rule and PTI protesters hit by live rounds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Key Takeaways
- The Lahore High Court summoned Punjab's home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent to appear in person on October 28.
- Imran Khan's sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan — remain in custody despite their 30-day MPO detention orders expiring on October 19 and 20.
- Aleema Khan's son Shahrez Khan filed a fresh petition on October 21 seeking their production and release.
- The petition argues the detention is unlawful, malicious, and linked to the sisters' efforts to secure their brother's release.
- Two earlier petitions were disposed of on October 9 and 12 without the court expressing an opinion on the merits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Imran Khan's three detained sisters?
Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan — the sisters of jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan. They were detained in September 2026 under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, and are currently held at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
Why were Imran Khan's sisters detained?
Authorities detained them in September 2026 under the Punjab MPO Ordinance, 1960, for 30 days, as the PTI prepared for a planned protest march toward Islamabad. The petition filed by the family argues the detention was malicious and connected to the sisters' public efforts to campaign for their brother's release.
What did the Lahore High Court order on October 22?
Justice Abher Gul Khan summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail to appear in person on October 28, along with their reports, after being told the sisters' 30-day detention orders had expired on October 19 and 20 without their release. The hearing was then adjourned to that date.
Who filed the petition for their release?
Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, filed a fresh writ petition before the Lahore High Court on Wednesday, October 21, through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar. It seeks the production and release of all three sisters and asks the court to declare their detention orders void.
What happens at the October 28 hearing?
The Punjab home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent must personally appear before the court with their reports explaining why the three women remain detained after their orders lapsed. The court could order their release, suspend the detention orders, or continue proceedings depending on what the officials present.
Have courts heard this case before?
Yes. Two earlier petitions challenging the detention orders were disposed of by the Lahore High Court on October 9 and 12, which directed the home department to decide the family's pending representations. The court expressed no opinion on the merits of the case at that stage, leading to the fresh petition filed on October 21.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Dawn — "LHC summons Punjab home secretary, Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent in plea seeking release of Imran's sisters" (dawn.com/news/2038971), published October 22, 2026.
- Geo News — "Imran's sisters detention: LHC summons Punjab home sec, Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent on Oct 28" (geo.tv), October 22, 2026.
- Dawn (newspaper) — "Court moved for release of Imran's sisters" (dawn.com/news/2038853), published in Dawn, October 22, 2026.