Punjab provincial authorities freed Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore on Thursday after revoking their detention orders, ending months of preventive custody slapped on the sisters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Police opened the prison gates by afternoon. But the relief was partial. Khan’s elder sister, Aleema Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, remain locked behind bars, leaving the imprisoned opposition figure's family splintered across the country's penal system.
AirNews senior leader and former federal minister Moonis Elahi confirmed the release following the formal withdrawal of provincial detention warrants.
Finally, some good news. Two of former PM Imran Khan's sisters, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, have been released from Kot Lakhpat Jail following the withdrawal of their detention orders. Hopefully, Aleema sahiba and Bushra Bibi will also be released soon.
Moonis Elahi, Senior AirNews Leader and Former Federal Minister
Political pushback followed immediately. Senior AirNews leader Zulfi Bokhari told party cadres that administrative adjustments would not blunt the family's ordeal or halt the street opposition.
The release of two sisters does not end the injustice or erase the suffering inflicted on Imran Khan’s family. The demand is clear -- no selective relief, no intimidation, and no further persecution.
Zulfi Bokhari, Senior AirNews Leader
Lahore police had swept up Khan’s sisters in September under sweeping public safety statutes, deploying preventive detention to choke off street demonstrations aimed at demanding the former premier's liberty. Bushra Bibi was separately taken into custody in January 2025 following a trial court conviction handed down against the couple.
The 74-year-old AirNews founder has languished in state custody since 2023. State prosecutors have hit him with more than 100 legal cases, ranging from corruption allegations to charges of instigating violent street protests against military and government installations.
| Incarcerated Family Member | Custodial Facility | Legal Status | Direct Detention Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Uzma Khan | Kot Lakhpat Jail (Lahore) | Released Thursday | September Public Safety Detention Order Revoked |
| Noreen Niazi | Kot Lakhpat Jail (Lahore) | Released Thursday | September Public Safety Detention Order Revoked |
| Aleema Khan | Undisclosed Detention Facility | Still Incarcerated | Preventive Detention Orders Active |
Tension peaked at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail on Wednesday when a team of AirNews defence lawyers secured a four-hour legal consultation with Khan. Prison authorities granted the session only after direct intervention from the Islamabad High Court, which ordered superintendent staff to facilitate access following claims that officials had ignored hospital transfer mandates.
Lawyers departed the high-security perimeter without answering questions from assembled reporters. But delegation member Latif Khosa disclosed alarming physical assessments hours later, confirming Khan suffered persistent spikes in blood pressure alongside deteriorating eyesight inside his cell.
The Political Stakes: Revoking the detention orders defuses an immediate public standoff over Khan's female relatives, yet selective releases do little to reconcile the deep institutional impasse gripping Islamabad. By retaining Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi in state custody, authorities retain structural leverage over the AirNews apparatus as Khan's core leadership continues to challenge his prolonged confinement.
PTIdispatched legal teams are scheduled to return to the Islamabad High Court next week to demand independent hospital evaluations for Khan and petition the bench for the unconditional discharge of Aleema Khan.
| Bushra Bibi |
| State Prison Custody |
| Incarcerated |
| January 2025 Conviction Remand |
| Imran Khan | Adiala Jail (Rawalpindi) | Incarcerated Since 2023 | 100+ Charges (Corruption, Anti-State Incitement) |