LAHORE: A day after Aleema Khan was sent to Kot Lakhpat prison, two other sisters of former prime minister Imran Khan were also taken into custody for 30 days.

Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were detained on Monday under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, amid reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its call for a march on Islamabad on Sept 27.

The detentions were immediately challenged before Justice Abher Gul Khan of the Lahore High Court. Hearing of the petition filed by Aleema’s son, Shahraiz Khan, through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar has been fixed for Tuesday (today).

In an order dated Sept 20, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Lahore DC Office ordered that Noreen and Uzma be detained for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, stating that the two were “prejudicial to the public safety and maintenance of public order”.

LHC to take up plea against Aleema, Uzma, Noreen’s arrest today

The two will remain in custody under the superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, it said.

The order stated that the two were involved in the May 9 protest and “motivated the workers to damage public and government property”.

“Moreover, they are again mobilising the workers through social media and public meetings to create a law and order situation, raising/chanting objectionable slogans amongst the general public against the government/institution in order to provoke and incite them,” the order read.

“Accordingly, multiple cases including 96/23 PS Race Course were registered,” it said, stating that “Uzma and Noreen are potential dangers to public peace and tranquility”.

According to the petition challenging the detentions before the LHC, the deputy commissioner unlawfully issued the detention orders and failed to follow the procedure prescribed under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

The petition argued that the orders contain no specific allegations and demonstrate no application of mind. It stated that ordinary criminal law and less restrictive measures were not considered. It urged the court to set aside the detention orders issued by the Lahore DC and declare them unlawful.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s son Kasim claimed in a post on X that Uzma and Noreen had been abducted. “This is a disgrace,” he wrote, claiming that authorities had “broken into my aunties and cousins houses and forced them into vehicles with no explanation”.

“No reasons for arrest have been stated. No news has been released as to where they have been taken,” he wrote.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the detention and stressed that the country did not “need further confrontation, rather an end to political tensions”.

Earlier, PTI Infor­mation Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram in a post on X accused Punjab police of “arresting both sisters of Imran, along with their children and the sons of Aleema Khan”. He said the individuals had “been placed in an armoured vehicle and are being taken to an unknown location”.

Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2026