LHC asks Noreen Niazi's counsel to file separate plea for medical care, family access

PTI secretary general also appears before court and raises concerns over her medical condition

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Friday asked the lawyer representing Noreen Niazi, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, to move a separate application before the court for her medical treatment and permission to meet her family, following her recent hospitalisation while in preventive detention.

On Wednesday, Noreen, 70, was admitted to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) following a deterioration in her health while in custody, according to her legal counsel.

“Noreen Niazi Sahiba has been transferred to PIC due to deteriorating health in jail,” her legal counsel, Rana Mudassar Umer, said on X.

نورین نیازی صاحبہ کی جیل میں طبعیت خراب ہونے پر پنجاب کارڈیالوجی منتقل کیا گیا ہے۔ ان کی صحت کیلئے دعاؤں کی درخواست ہے۔ 70 سالہ نورین نیازی غیر قانونی نظر بند ہیں اور ان کی ہسپتال منتقلی پر کسی خاندان کے شخص کو اطلاع نہیں دی گئی۔ pic.twitter.com/IRXs29TcWV

— Rana Mudassar Umer (@MudassarUmer4) October 28, 2026

Justice Abher Gul Khan issued the direction during the hearing of a petition moved by Sakeena Niazi, who has challenged the continued detention of Imran’s sisters, Noreen and Dr Uzma Khan, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.

The court sought clarification on whether the petitioner had formally approached the authorities for medical facilities and family meetings.

Advocate Umer, appearing for the petitioner, informed the court that an application had already been submitted to the deputy commissioner.

The judge, however, directed him to place the matter before the court through a separate civil miscellaneous application as well.

During the proceedings, Advocate Umar questioned the legal basis for extending the detention of the two women, maintaining that the latest detention orders were virtually identical to the earlier ones, with only their dates altered.

He argued that there was no justification for keeping the sisters behind bars and that suspension of the fresh detention notifications would result in their release.

Read: Sana assures family access to Noreen

Referring to Noreen's hospitalisation, he said she had no previous history of heart disease and questioned what circumstances during her detention had led to her being taken to hospital.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also appeared before the court and raised concerns over Noreen's medical condition.

He told the judge that she was unwell and had reportedly been shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU), but neither her relatives nor her legal representative had been permitted to see her.

Raja further said he had no confirmed information about whether Noreen was still receiving treatment at the hospital or had been transferred back to jail.

The court also asked about the return of the home secretary, who was reportedly abroad. Additional Advocate General Nasir Chohan told the judge that he would verify the information and update the court.

Read more: Imran Khan’s sister Noreen taken to Punjab Institute of Cardiology after health issue in jail: lawyer

It is pertinent to mention that Imran's sisters were taken into custody in September under Section 3 of the MPO as the PTI prepared for a protest march towards Islamabad.

Their initial detention was ordered for 30 days, due to expire on October 19 in Aleema's case and October 20 in the cases of Uzma and Noreen.

Despite the expiry of the initial detention period, the women remained incarcerated. The provincial government subsequently informed the LHC on October 7 that their detention had been extended.

Raja calls Noreen's detention unjustified

Raja criticised the continued detention of Imran's three sisters, saying there was no justification for keeping Noreen in custody despite her illness.

Speaking about the proceedings at the LHC, he said, “There is no justification for keeping an old ailing woman in detention like this. To say that an old sick woman would come out and disturb public order is a foolish argument.”

He said that the three sisters were being unlawfully detained solely to cause suffering to them and Imran's entire family. “These women were kept in unlawful confinement only to torment them, to torment Imran's entire family,” he said.

"ایک 72 سالہ بیمار خاتون کو اس طرح قید رکھنے کا کوئی جواز نہیں ہے،یہ کہنا کہ ایک 72 سالہ بیمار خاتون باہر نکل کر نقص امن پیدا کریں گی یہ بے وقوفانہ بات ہے۔ان خواتین کو حبس بے جا میں رکھا جارہا ہے صرف ازیت دینے کے لیے، عمران خان کو پورے خاندان کو ازیت دینے کے لیے۔ پوری قوم کو… pic.twitter.com/DLgmIHb3Wo

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 30, 2026

“In our country, there is brutality. Imran's three sisters have been detained without justification for 60 days,” he added.

Referring to the court proceedings, Raja said the petition before the court on Friday had been filed on Wednesday. He said the legal team learnt on Thursday that Noreen had been shifted to hospital because of a heart condition.

“Today, through another application, we informed the court about this and requested that her family be given immediate access to her and that her medical records be provided,” he said.

"آج جو پٹیشن عدالت کے سامنے تھی وہ بدھ کو داخل ہوئی جمعرات کو نورین نیازی کے دل کے عارضے میں ہسپتال منتقل ہونے کا پتہ چلا آج ہم نے ایک اور درخواست کے ذریعے عدالت کو اس بارے بتایا اور التجا کی کہ ان کے خاندان کو ان تک فی الفور رسائی دی جائے ان کا میڈیکل ریکارڈ مہیا کیا جائے۔ تو جج… pic.twitter.com/750RqGGFpX

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 30, 2026

According to Raja, the judge said she could not hear the application until the chief justice placed it before her. “Emergency applications are heard promptly. We are present here, and our request is that it be heard today,” he said.

Raja also requested that one of Noreen's daughters be allowed to stay with her.

Noreen was healthy before detention, says husband

Noreen's husband, Ahad Khan, said she had been completely healthy before being sent to jail and said that her health had deteriorated during detention. “Before going to jail, Noreen had no health problems. She was completely healthy. All of this happened after she went to jail,” he said.

He said that she had not been allowed to meet anyone during her detention.

“Imran is a strong man. He has endured solitary confinement for a year. Women are not strong enough to endure solitary confinement, which is why she fell ill,” Ahad said.

Referring to the treatment of Imran's three sisters, he said that they had faced severe repression.

"جیل جانے سے قبل نورین خان نیازی کو کوئی تکلیف نہیں تھی وہ بالکل صحت مند تھیں یہ سب جیل جانے کے بعد ہوا ہے۔جیل میں ان کو کسی سے نہیں ملنے دیا گیا عمران خان صاحب تو مضبوط آدمی ہیں وہ ایک سال سے قید تنہائی برداشت کررہے ہیں خواتین اتنی مضبوط نہیں ہیں کہ قید تنہائی برداشت کر سکیں اس… pic.twitter.com/s2xWIe7FlY

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 30, 2026

“All three sisters have endured a great deal of fascism. They were dragged, sprayed with poisonous water cannons, and left in the forests of Chakri at three in the morning. But they did not break,” he said.

“They are trying to break Imran in this way. Imran will not break. He had said he would make them cry, and God willing, he will,” Ahad added.

In separate remarks, Ahad said he prayed for those responsible for the situation.

“I am praying for them. May Allah guide them. This world will end for them in 15 or 20 years, so what will they do afterwards?” he said.

"میں ان کے لیے دعا کررہا ہوں اللہ ان کو ہدایت دے یہ دنیا پندرہ بیس سال بعد ان کے لیے ختم ہوجائے گی تو آگے جاکر کیا کریں گے ؟ مجھے اس دعا کرنے پر گرفتار کریں گے تو کر لیں۔میں ہر نماز میں ان کے لیے دعا کرتا ہوں یہ غلط راستے پر چل رہے ہیں ان کو یہ کون بتائے گا ؟ ان کے چمچے تو کبھی… pic.twitter.com/EODdRMYgcm

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 30, 2026

“If they want to arrest me for praying, they can do so. I pray for them in every prayer. They are following the wrong path. Who will tell them this? Their sycophants will never tell them,” he added.

A day earlier, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the government would look into reports that relatives of PTI founder's sister, Noreen, were not allowed to visit her in custody, and would work to ensure they are granted access.

"Let me ask the relevant authorities about the claim that the relatives of Noreen Niazi have not been allowed to see her," Sanaullah said.

"We will try to have her relatives granted access to her," he added.

Speaking about Noreen's health, Sanaullah said she had been transferred to hospital for treatment immediately after she complained of poor health. He said her condition was stable and that all her medical tests had returned normal results.