Two sisters of Imran Khan released from prison

LAHORE: Two sisters of jailed Pakistani former prime minister Imran Khan were released from prison in Lahore on Thursday, their lawyer and Khan's political party said.
Noreen Khan and Uzma Khan 'were released from Kot Lakhpat at 2:00 pm (0900 GMT)', their advocate Rana Mudassar said, explaining that the government had withdrawn their joint detention order, while a third sister, Aleema Khan, remained in prison. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party confirmed the release of the two sisters.
Khan, who served as premier from 2018 to 2022, has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces scores of charges ranging from corruption to treason following anti-establishment riots. The 74-year-old former cricket star and his legal team reject the allegations, branding them as politically motivated cases aimed at neutralising his popularity.
Aleema, Uzma and Noreen were arrested and placed under 30-day detention orders in September after calls for protest by Khan's party which the government condemned as illegal. Mudassar said lawyers had challenged a joint detention order for Noreen and Uzma Khan, which had been extended, but the authorities withdrew the order and released the pair ahead of a scheduled hearing. — AFP