Punjab extends detention of Imran Khan's three sisters by 30 days

The Punjab government has extended by another 30 days the detention of the three sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan: Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi. Urdu outlets reported that the detention is under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.

The Lahore High Court was informed of the extension on Monday, according to Daily Times. Justice Abher Gul Khan was hearing a petition seeking the recovery of the three women. The petition challenged their continued detention after the first 30-day period had ended.

A Punjab government law officer submitted a report on behalf of the provincial home secretary. It said the detention of all three had been extended for 30 more days on the recommendation of the Lahore deputy commissioner.

The petitioner's counsel asked the court to order that the three women be recovered and produced before it. The court noted that the petitioner had not named the deputy commissioner as a respondent, so it could not pass an order beyond the scope of the case. It then disposed of the petition in light of the home secretary's report. The petition was filed by Shahrez, son of Aleema Khan.

PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram wrote on X that the extension was made and that the court was informed. He said hundreds of PTI and political workers across Punjab are also held under Section 3 of the MPO, and that many of them have no cases registered against them and face limits on access to family and lawyers.

He said preventive detention was being used systematically to apply political pressure and suppress opponents. In his words, holding the sisters only because of their family tie, and workers because of their political affiliation, amounts to collective punishment rather than keeping the peace. He called for the immediate release of the sisters and all detained political workers.

Separately, Daily Times reported that the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi deferred for the fifth time its reserved verdict in a case over the November 26 protest, registered at Sadiqabad Police Station. Aleema Khan and 10 other accused are named. The next date is November 26. According to police records, 65 suspects were declared proclaimed offenders and 12 co-accused were convicted earlier after confessing. The trial of the remaining 10 accused, including Aleema Khan, is complete.