Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan were released after weeks in preventive detention, while PTI spokespersons said Aleema Khan remained in custody.
LAHORE: Sisters of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, were released from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday after spending several weeks in preventive detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, sources said.
However, their sister Aleema Khan remains in custody, with a PTI spokesperson saying the party has not received any information about when she might be released.
Noreen and Uzma were taken into custody on Sept. 21, 2026, a day after Aleema Khan’s arrest. Their detention came ahead of planned PTI protests demanding Imran Khan’s release.
Authorities initially ordered their detention for 30 days under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, which empowers the government to order preventive detention on public order grounds.
The detention orders were challenged before the Lahore High Court (LHC), where lawyers argued that the measures were unjustified and violated their constitutional rights.
On Oct. 26, the Punjab government informed the court that detention orders for all three sisters had been extended by another 30 days on the recommendation of the Lahore deputy commissioner.
The court disposed of an earlier petition after reviewing the government’s report, while separate legal challenges against the detentions continued.
The arrests and subsequent legal proceedings unfolded amid political tensions surrounding PTI’s protest movement and demands for Imran Khan’s release.
PTI protests and a long march led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi were followed by the imposition of emergency measures and governor’s rule in the province in October. The federal government cited the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the reason for the measures.
Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi meet lawyers at Adiala jail
In a separate development, PTI lawyers were allowed to meet Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Wednesday, a day before the release of his sisters.
Lawyer Latif Khosa said he and fellow counsel Salman Safdar held a meeting with the couple lasting nearly four hours. He said they discussed the reported 28th Constitutional Amendment but did not disclose further details of the conversation.
There has been no official confirmation that the government is preparing a 28th Constitutional Amendment. However, possible constitutional changes, including proposals that could pave the way for new provinces or administrative units, have featured in discussions among major political parties.
The meeting followed an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order issued on Tuesday during hearings of appeals filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi against their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
Their lawyers had told the court that they were being denied access to their clients and needed to meet them to prepare for the appeals.
The release of Noreen and Uzma comes as legal proceedings involving the PTI founder, his wife and other family members continue, while Aleema Khan’s detention remains unresolved.
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