Lahore High Court orders Noreen Niazi meeting with two daughters

The Lahore High Court has ordered that Noreen Niazi, a sister of former prime minister Imran Khan held at Kot Lakhpat Jail, be allowed a one-hour meeting with two of her daughters.

Rana Mudassar, the lawyer for the sisters, told reporters the order was passed in the petition concerning Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan, and that the court summoned the Lahore deputy commissioner in person on 4 November with a report. BBC Urdu reported the meeting was fixed for Tuesday. Express News said the daughters had been allowed to meet her the next day.

Justice Abhar Gul Khan heard the petitions of Shah Riaz Khan and Sakina Bibi, which dealt with the extension of the detention of Imran Khan's sisters and with Noreen Niazi's medical treatment. The court called for a report from the Home Department by 2pm.

Rana Mudassar told the court that the detention of Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan had been extended. Salman Akram Raja asked the court to make an exception for Aleema Khan's driver, describing him as a poor and apolitical man whose detention had also been extended and whose family was in severe distress. Justice Abhar Gul Khan said reports had been called in both cases and would be examined first, and that a separate petition should have been filed for the driver if the matter was that important. The hearing was adjourned to 4 November. The court turned down Rana Mudassar's repeated request to fix Aleema Khan's case for the following day and put it off to next week.

Aleema Khan was detained on 20 September and Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi on 21 September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960, as PTI prepared a protest march towards Islamabad. The detention was initially approved for 30 days and extended by another 30 days at Kot Lakhpat Jail on 7 October. On 26 October the high court disposed of a petition seeking the release of the three sisters after the Punjab government told it the detention had been extended once more.

Noreen Niazi, 70, fell ill in jail and was moved to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore. Her lawyer and family say they were not told she was being transferred, and PTI said in a statement that she was moved in a "highly critical condition", adding that keeping relatives uninformed violated basic human rights and international standards on detainees.

Imran Khan's nephew Sher Shah Khan said on X that relatives reached the hospital after reports appeared on social media and were kept outside the ward by police officers. The Punjab government and jail authorities have not said when or why Noreen Niazi was moved, or whether she is still admitted. BBC Urdu contacted the Punjab information minister, Uzma Bukhari, and received no reply.