Two sisters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan were released from prison on Thursday after nearly two months in custody. Their freedom followed 53 days at the Kot Lakhpat maximum-security facility in Lahore.
Lawyer Mudassar Umer confirmed the news on social media. Dr Uzma Khan and Ms Noreen Niazi have been released and have arrived home safely, he stated.
A third sister, Aleema Khan, who was detained on the same day as Uzma and Noreen, remains behind bars, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said. Zulfiqar Bukhari criticised the partial release.
Aleema Khan remains behind bars, Bukhari told Al Jazeera. The release of two sisters does not end the injustice or erase the suffering inflicted on Imran Khan’s family, he added. The demand is clear, with no selective relief, no intimidation, and no further persecution.
Uzma Khan’s son, Wali Khan, questioned the legality of the process in a separate social media post. He asked for an explanation regarding why his mother had been detained for 53 days before being freed. Their jailing was arbitrary, and so is their release, he wrote.
The three women were initially taken into custody and placed under 30-day detention orders a week prior to a planned party protest march on September 27. The demonstration aimed to demand the release of their 74-year-old brother, who has been imprisoned since August 2023.
Imran Khan faces a series of convictions that his supporters argue are politically motivated. Most of these rulings have been suspended or overturned on appeal. He remains behind bars amid campaigns driven by concerns over his health.
Party members have frequently raised alarms about his physical condition, particularly his right eye, which required months of specialist medical attention. The release of the two sisters came a day after the former prime minister was taken to a hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment.
Authorities defended the initial arrests by stating that the women posed a potential threat to public order ahead of the planned demonstration in the capital. The protest march ultimately did not proceed after the federal government suspended the provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had been organising the event.
