Islamabad [Pakistan], September 21 : Legal challenges have mounted against the recent crackdown in Pakistan following the filing of a petition in the Lahore High Court on Monday, which challenges the 30-day detention orders issued against the three sisters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and seeks their immediate release, as reported by local media.
The petition was submitted by Shahraiz Khan, son of Aleema Khan, requesting the High Court to formally invalidate the preventive detention directives, according to the Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune.
The legal move follows controversial orders issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner on September 20 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, targeting Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's planned September 27 demonstrations.
Challenging the legality of the measure, the petitioner stated that the detention order issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner was illegal and unlawful. He alleged that Aleema Khan was intercepted while travelling for personal errands, insisting that no public gathering or situation existed that could pose a risk to public order.
Furthermore, the documentation noted that Aleema Khan and her driver, Muhammad Ameer, were incarcerated in Lahore Central Jail. Describing her as a law-abiding individual, the petitioner maintained that she had never participated in actions detrimental to public safety or interest.
The petition further claimed that the local administration acted on verbal police advice prompted by political adversaries, pointing out that the notification lacked specific allegations to justify preventive detention. Respondents named in the filing include the Home Department secretary, the Lahore Deputy Commissioner, the capital city police officer and the Lahore Central Jail superintendent, as highlighted by The Express Tribune.
The legal challenge comes in the wake of the subsequent detentions of Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi on Monday, following Aleema Khan's apprehension earlier.
Condemning the widening arrests of his relatives, Imran Khan's son, Kasim Khan, labelled the actions as criminal and appealed for international intervention.
In a post on X, Kasim Khan stated, "This is a disgrace. Now my Aunts Dr. Uzma and Noreen, along with my cousins Shershah and Shahrez, have now been abducted as well. They have broken into my aunties' and cousins' houses and forced them into vehicles with no explanation. No reasons for arrest have been stated."
He added, "No news has been released as to where they have been taken. This is criminal behaviour. Inexcusable. The Pakistani people are petrified of their own leaders. No upstanding nation should tolerate this criminal establishment. Intervention is now imperative. The world MUST take action."