Aleema Khan's November 26 protest case verdict deferred to October 1

The verdict was scheduled to be announced on Friday but will now be pronounced on October 1. The case relates to the November 26 protest and was registered at Sadiqabad Police Station in Rawalpindi. Aleema Khan’s lawyer had not appeared before the court to present final arguments,.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court on Thursday heard petitions challenging the 30-day detention of Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). Justice Abher Gul Khan heard the petitions, with lawyers for the two women requesting immediate suspension of their detention orders.

The court declined to suspend the notifications at this stage and issued notices to the respondents, seeking their replies. The Lahore deputy commissioner had ordered the detention of Noreen and Uzma for 30 days under Section 3 of the MPO on September 21 following a police recommendation.

The two sisters were subsequently shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail, where Aleema Khan had been detained a day earlier. Lawyers Mudassar Umar and Barrister Taimur appeared on behalf of Noreen and Uzma, while lawyer Farrukh Lodhi represented the Punjab government.

The court directed the relevant authorities to submit their responses to the petitions. The detentions came ahead of PTI’s planned nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad on September 27. The party has called for the release of Imran Khan and what it describes as supremacy of the Constitution.

A separate petition concerning Aleema Khan’s detention was also heard by the Lahore High Court. Her son, Shahraiz Khan, challenged the detention orders issued against his mother and her driver under the MPO. During the September 22 hearing, the court sought arguments on the maintainability of the petition and adjourned the matter until September 25 for further arguments.