LHC seeks arguments on plea challenging Aleema Khan's MPO detention

On Tuesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) requested additional arguments regarding the maintainability of a petition that challenges the detention of Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, and her driver, Muhammad Ameer. The petition was filed by Aleema's son, Shahrez Khan, with the assistance of advocate Rana Mudassar Umar.

During the hearing, Justice Abher Gul Khan inquired whether the petitioner's counsel had initially approached the relevant authority regarding the detention order. Shahrez's counsel responded that the situation differed from other cases and argued that the detention proceedings seemed to commence after Aleema and her driver had already been taken into custody.

The counsel further pointed out that the District Intelligence Committee (DIC) meeting and the issuance of the detention notification occurred on the same day, and the detention notification was issued after the arrest had already taken place. Justice Khan agreed to examine this issue and reserved his decision on the petition's maintainability, appointing a hearing for September 25.

Shahrez filed the petition, contending that the District Commissioner (DC) unlawfully issued the detention orders without following the prescribed procedure under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. The petition also alleged that the orders lacked specific allegations and did not demonstrate careful application of mind.

Additionally, it argued that ordinary criminal law and less restrictive measures were not considered, and that the grounds for detention were not communicated within the required timeframe, leading to the issuance of the detention orders after the arrests.