ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International on Monday described the Imran Khan family detentions and arrests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists as a “flagrant violation” of their rights and called for their immediate release.
Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said the detentions affected the rights to liberty, freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Additionally, Amnesty linked the arrests to PTI’s planned nationwide protest and Islamabad march on September 27.
Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi have each been placed under 30-day preventive detention in Lahore under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, according to detention orders and case reporting. All three were later transferred to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The Lahore administration issued the orders on police recommendations, citing public-order concerns. The orders concerning Uzma and Noreen alleged they were mobilising workers ahead of demonstrations. Meanwhile, Aleema’s order referred to public-safety concerns and previous protest activity.
The Lahore High Court heard the challenge to the detentions on Monday. A petition filed by Aleema’s son argued that the orders were unlawful and did not follow the procedure required under Section 3 of the MPO. However, no ruling on that challenge had been reported at the time of publication.
Amnesty also criticised pre-emptive arrests of PTI workers and said authorities should facilitate peaceful assembly under international human-rights obligations. Its statement noted that some other members of Imran Khan’s family had been briefly detained and later released.
Read: Imran Khan’s Sisters Uzma, Noreen Detained for 30 Days
PTI has called the September 27 mobilisation to demand Imran Khan’s release and what it describes as constitutional supremacy. Moreover, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the government will prevent any march from shutting down Islamabad. The government will also enforce an Islamabad High Court ruling restricting occupation of roads, highways and public buildings.
