Lahore High Court orders Noreen Niazi’s jail meeting with her daughters today, summons Lahore DC tomorrow
File photograph of the Lahore High Court building in Lahore, where the petitions against the extended detention orders were heard.
The Lahore High Court has opened the way for a jail meeting between Noreen Niazi, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, and her two daughters. Hearing the case on Monday, Justice Abher Gul Khan directed the jail authorities to arrange a one-hour meeting at 10am on Tuesday, and summoned the Lahore deputy commissioner in person on 4 November to explain why the detention orders were extended.
Why the extension is being challenged
The petitions, filed by Noreen Niazi’s daughter Sakina Niazi and Aleema Khanum’s son Shahraiz, challenge the extension of the detention orders for Noreen and Uzma Khan. Their case, as argued in court, is that the notification of 7 October extending the detention came after the first 30-day period had already run out — and should therefore be declared unlawful. That is the question the deputy commissioner has now been called to answer in person.
Detained since September
The three sisters were detained in September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI prepared for a protest march towards Islamabad. Aleema Khanum was taken into custody on 20 September; Noreen and Uzma followed a day later. Each was initially detained for 30 days, and the orders were then extended by a further 30 days. The hearing on the challenge to Aleema Khanum’s extended detention has been put off until next week.
One meeting during hospital treatment
The court also heard that Noreen Niazi had already met one daughter, Hajra Niazi, on 29 October while she was in hospital. She had been moved from Kot Lakhpat Jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology on 28 October after complaining of heart trouble, and the Punjab home department told the court she was shifted back to jail once her treatment was complete. The judge has sought a report on her medical condition as well. The petitioners’ counsel is to file a formal application with the deputy commissioner, who must then arrange the meeting on the basis of that request.
