After Aleema, Imran’s sisters Uzma and Noreen also detained in Lahore under MPO for 30 days

Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, were detained for 30 days on Monday, ahead of the party’s September 27 protest call. The development follows the detention of Imran’s other sister, Aleema Khan, after Lahore’s deputy commissioner (DC) ordered her detention or arrest for 30 days on Sunday. The detention has come amid reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its September 27 countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party has called to demand Imran’s release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution. 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”.

The MPO ordinance allows the authorities to order detention and restrict judicial review of such orders. 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 were “potential dangers to public peace and tranquillity”. “Such activists will give rise to a situation prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order, if…