LAHORE – Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi has been shifted from jail custody to Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore on Wednesday evening, where abnormal ECG findings raised fears of a possible heart attack.
Noreen was taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology after developing chest pain and difficulty breathing while detained in Lahore, according to sources. She reached the emergency department at 6:51pm under a strict police escort. The vitals revealed high BP and a abnormal heartbeat, alongside chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Changes in her ECG prompted doctors to order blood tests to investigate whether her heart muscle had suffered damage.
A heart attack has not been confirmed. Doctors were awaiting test results to establish whether the symptoms and ECG findings pointed to a cardiac event.
Afyer emergency assessment and initial treatment, Noreen, the wife of analyst Hafeezullah Niazi, was moved to the relevant surgical ward for continued observation and care, sources said. Security was tightened around the hospital after her arrival. A heavy police contingent and senior officials reached the premises, while access to the section where she was receiving treatment was restricted.
The health scare comes amid a continuing legal battle over the detention of Imran Khan’s three sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan — at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
Aleema was detained on September 20, while Noreen and Uzma were taken into custody the following day under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The detentions preceded PTI’s planned September 27 protest and march towards Islamabad, called to demand Imran Khan’s release and constitutional supremacy. Authorities used preventive detention powers in connection with the planned mobilisation.
Their initial detention orders were for 30 days. Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, subsequently challenged their continued confinement through a petition before the Lahore High Court.
On October 26, the Punjab government informed the court that the sisters’ detention had been extended by another month following a recommendation from the Lahore deputy commissioner. The court disposed of the release petition after considering the government’s report.
