The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed Punjab's home secretary and the head of Kot Lakhpat jail to appear before it personally on October 28. The order came during a hearing on a petition seeking the recovery of Imran Khan's three sisters, who are held under the MPO Ordinance, a law that allows short preventive detention orders. The Imran Khan sisters detention case now puts the provincial home department and the jail administration before the court.
What the court heard
The petitioner's counsel told the bench that the detention orders for all three women had expired on October 19 and 20. Justice Abher Gul Khan asked why the Lahore deputy commissioner had not been made a respondent. The counsel replied that the official had been left out because the detention notification he issued was no longer in force.
Ahed Khan, the husband of Dr Uzma Khan, then asked the court to summon the deputy commissioner as well. Justice Abher Gul Khan observed that an official who is not a party to a case cannot be summoned in it.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- September 20: Aleema Khan was detained, a day before her sisters were.
- September 21: Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan were detained for 30 days, shortly before a PTI protest that had been planned for September 27.
- October 4: the protest, first set for September 27, was later rescheduled to this date.
- October 19 and 20: detention orders for the three sisters expired, the petitioner's counsel told the court.
- October 28: the LHC hearing at which Punjab's home secretary and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent are required to appear in person.
A fresh petition from Aleema Khan's son
Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, has filed a fresh petition in the LHC challenging the detention of Imran Khan's sisters. The petition says the women remain at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore even though the 30-day detention period has ended. The petition and the October 28 hearing are the next steps in the Imran Khan sisters detention matter.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Imran Khan ki teen behnein, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi aur Dr Uzma Khan, MPO qanoon ke tehat hirasat mein hain. Unke wakeel ne adalat ko bataya ke hirasat ke orders 19 aur 20 October ko khatam ho gaye. Lahore High Court ne Punjab ke home secretary aur Kot Lakhpat jail ke superintendent ko 28 October ko zaati taur par pesh hone ke liye talab kiya hai. Aam logon ke liye yeh case ahem hai, kyunki hirasat ki qanooni bunyaad par adalat sawal utha sakti hai.
