LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday sought a report on the provision of medicines, clothes and other basic facilities to the sisters of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan in jail.
Imran’s three sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan, have been in detention for nearly three weeks under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO). Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen were detained for 30 days on Sept 21, ahead of the party’s September 27 protest call, later postponed to Oct 4. The development came a day after Aleema’s detention on Sept 20.
On Friday, Justice Abher Gul Khan took up civil miscellaneous applications filed by Aleema’s son Shahzair Khan and Noreen’s daughter Sakeena Niazi. The petitions were filed earlier this week against the alleged denial of medicine and meetings with families and counsel.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Rana Mudassar Umar, said 19 days had passed since their detention, but the three sisters had not been provided with medicines and clothes.
At this, Justice Khan observed that Aleema had been given clothes and medicines; however, her lawyer claimed the items were provided to her only on court orders, and nothing had been given before.
Umar requested the court to direct the jail authorities to provide Noreen with books, medicines and other essential items as well.
Justice Khan asked the counsel to specify the items required, observing that only items approved by the court would be allowed into the jail.
The counsel sought permission to provide medicines, clothes, books and food items to the sisters. The judge said the court would seek reports from the jail superintendent on the applications.
Umar also requested the court to hear the main petition challenging the sisters’ preventive detention. Justice Khan observed that the court would take up the main petition after the medicines and clothes had been delivered.
She asked the counsel to decide whether he wished to argue the main petition or pursue the miscellaneous applications first.
The hearing was adjourned until October 12.
On Sept 24, the LHC had turned down a request to immediately suspend the preventive detention notifications issued against Noreen and Dr Uzma.
Earlier this week, Imran’s cousin, Qasim Zaman, was also taken into custody under the MPO when he went to Adiala jail to meet the ex-prime minister.
Meanwhile, there have been reports of the arrests and detentions of several PTI members and workers, including provincial ministers and lawmakers, as PTI’s march continues.
Usually, Imran’s sisters would be the ones to reach Adiala every week in the hopes of meeting Imran. But Qasim was visiting the prison following their detentions.
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