What happened
According to Dawn, Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister's adviser on political affairs, told the Senate that Noreen Niazi, the sister of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, is doing well after receiving medical care in Lahore. Sanaullah addressed the Senate following questions raised by PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar regarding her health and hospital transfer.
Noreen Niazi was moved from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology. Her lawyer stated the transfer was prompted by high blood pressure, whereas Zafar claimed she experienced a heart attack. Sanaullah confirmed she received immediate medical attention, and all her medical test results were normal.
Key facts
- Noreen Niazi and Imran Khan's other sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, have been held in detention since September 21 under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.
- Their 30-day detention period was extended on October 7 amid government actions surrounding PTI's planned protests and march to Islamabad.
- PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram and other party figures criticized officials for transferring the 70-year-old to the cardiology institute without informing her family in advance.
- Sanaullah stated that Noreen Niazi was detained to prevent public turmoil and an attack on Islamabad, adding that inquiries would be made regarding family visitation permissions at the hospital.
- PTI leaders raised broader concerns over human rights, solitary confinement, and the treatment of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, which the government denied, asserting proper entitlements are provided.
Why it matters
According to Dawn, the detention and health treatment of Imran Khan's relatives have intensified debates between the government and the opposition over basic human rights and legal safeguards. While PTI representatives labeled the handling of her medical emergency as callous, government officials maintained that legal procedures are being followed and relief regarding judicial detentions must be sought directly through the courts.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 29, 2026 · Photo by Ajmal Ali on Unsplash
