Imran Khan's two sisters released from Lahore prison

Two sisters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan were released from Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore on Thursday, their lawyer and Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said.

Lawyer Rana Mudassar said Noreen Khan and Uzma Khan were released at 2:00 pm after the government withdrew their joint detention order. A third sister, Aleema Khan, remained in prison, and Mudassar said lawyers were seeking the withdrawal of her separate detention order.

PTI confirmed the release of Noreen and Uzma Khan but said it did not erase what it called suffering inflicted on Khan's family and called for “no further persecution”.

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.

Khan, 74, has been jailed since August 2023 and faces charges ranging from corruption to treason after anti-establishment riots. He and his legal team reject the allegations, calling them politically motivated cases intended to neutralise his popularity.

Mudassar said Khan briefly left prison overnight from Wednesday to Thursday for an eye examination and treatment before being returned to Rawalpindi's central jail. The Supreme Court ruled in August that Khan should be moved to a civilian hospital for treatment, but authorities returned him to prison after a short stay at a government-run hospital.