Three women remain behind bars in Lahore despite their detention orders having expired days ago, setting up an immediate legal confrontation in the provincial capital. According to Geo News, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail in person on October 28 during the hearing of a petition seeking the recovery of the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder's sisters.
According to Geo News, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Dr Uzma Khan have remained in custody since last month under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. Geo News reported that Noreen and Uzma were detained for 30 days on September 21 ahead of a planned protest, while Aleema's detention began a day earlier on September 20. Shahrez Khan, the son of Aleema Khan, filed the fresh petition challenging their continued detention.
During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel stated to Geo News that the detention orders for all three sisters had already expired on October 19 and 20. Justice Abher Gul Khan questioned the counsel regarding why the Lahore deputy commissioner had not been made a respondent. The petitioner's counsel explained that the deputy commissioner was excluded because the original notification had expired, though Ahed Khan, the husband of Uzma Khan, requested that the deputy commissioner also be summoned. Justice Abher Gul observed that the official could not be summoned without being formally named as a party.
Background
According to Geo News, the sisters were initially taken into custody under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance in connection with the PTI's anti-government protest. The demonstrations, originally planned for September 27, were subsequently moved to October 4.
Why it matters
This case brings the application of public order maintenance ordinances and the legal limits of preventive detentions under direct judicial scrutiny. For ordinary citizens, the proceedings highlight the role of the high court in examining whether detentions continue beyond their legally mandated timeframes.