• LHC to hear arguments on maintainability of plea challenging Aleema’s detention; family assails ‘high-handedness’ during late-night raid
• IHC summons police officers on MNAs’ petition against raids
• Missing MNA’s recovery sought; contempt plea filed over Junaid Akbar’s ‘incendiary’ remarks
• Imran’s cousin, lawyers visit Adiala in vain
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: It was a day of court appearances for the opposition PTI as it fought to secure the freedom of party leaders and activists who have been detained ahead of the party’s planned Sept 27 long march on the capital.
On Monday, the Lahore High Court sought arguments on the maintainability of a petition challenging the detention of Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
Hearing the plea moved by Taimur Malik on behalf of Aleema’s son Shahraiz, Justice Abher Gul Khan on Tuesday asked the counsel if he had approached the relevant authority before approaching the court.
In response, the lawyer maintained that this case was different because detention proceedings and the detention order issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner appeared to have been initiated after the arrest.
Aleema was detained on Sunday for 30 days under the MPO. The DC’s order, based on a letter from the Lahore capital city police officer, cited police reports alleging that Aleema and her driver, Ameer, were “prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order”.
Justice Khan observed that the court would examine the issue and reserved its decision on the maintainability of the plea.
In addition to Aleema, her sisters Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi have also been detained under the MPO.
Meanwhile, members of their families alleged that police officers behaved aggressively and disrespectfully during the raid and said they had not been allowed to meet any of the three sisters, either personally or through their lawyers.
In a statement, the family claimed that Aleema was detained after police surrounded her residence and restricted movement in the area. It alleged that around 200 police officers raided her home at about 1:30am on Sept 21, detained staff and searched the premises for Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi.
Police then entered Uzma’s adjoining house, where they detained both sisters and Noreen’s daughter, Sakeenah Niazi. It alleged that several male relatives and domestic staff were also detained, while police attempted to enter an upstairs portion of Aleema’s house where Shahraiz Khan’s wife and her two daughters were present.
It alleged officers frightened the children and damaged CCTV cameras and DVR equipment.
According to the statement, the detained family members were taken to Chauburji police station around 2:10am, from where Uzma and Noreen were shifted to jail, while the others were allowed to return home.
With the three sisters and Imran Khan also in custody, Imran Khan’s cousin Qasim Zaman reached Adiala jail on Tuesday in an attempt to meet the incarcerated ex-premier. In addition, six lawyers, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, also reached the jail at around 2pm and waited for a couple of hours, but to no avail.
IHC summons Islamabad SSP
Meanwhile, Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned the city’s senior superintendent of police on Sept 24 on a petition filed by PTI leaders, including Malik Aamir Dogar and Shoaib Shaheen, concerning the alleged harassment of PTI leaders and raids on their homes ahead of the party’s scheduled long march to the federal capital.
While arguing that raids could not be conducted without proper legal authorisation, the petitioners requested the court to restrain Islamabad police from violating the sanctity of homes and the privacy of households.
The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has also condemned what it described as repeated harassment, intimidation and alleged unlawful detention of lawyers by police.
The proceedings come amid heightened security measures in Islamabad ahead of the PTI’s march on Islamabad.
MNA Mastikhel’s recovery sought
Separately, a petition was filed before the IHC seeking the recovery of PTI MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel, who was allegedly taken away from Parliament Lodges on Sept 20.
The petition claimed that those who took the lawmaker away identified themselves as security personnel, but did not produce an arrest warrant, FIR or any legal order authorising his detention.
It said extensive efforts had been made to locate the MNA, but his whereabouts remained unknown. Neither the police nor the administration, it alleged, had provided information about the matter.
The petitioner asked the IHC to direct the authorities to recover the lawmaker and sought details of the legal grounds for his alleged detention and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The development came after the PTI alleged that five of its MNAs had been whisked away from Parliament Lodges, while an MPA was also missing.
Separately, an Islamabad-based trader filed a contempt petition before the IHC against PTI MNA Junaid Akbar over remarks concerning the party’s upcoming march.
Mr Akbar had referred to turning Islamabad into “Somnath” and said they would “keep on lifting corpses and new people would also come”. He later rejected the backlash, saying his reference had been given a “wrong spin”.
The petition, filed by a private citizen, alleged that his remarks violated the IHC’s Sept 14 judgement by encouraging people to march towards Islamabad.
The petitioner sought contempt proceedings against MNA Akbar and cited a 2018 Supreme Court judgement in which then-senator Nehal Hashmi was sent to jail and fined Rs50,000 for contempt of court.
Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2026
