Speaking to the media during a visit to a polling camp in Township, Lahore, he said the ongoing referendum would reveal the voices of millions.
‘The essence of democracy lies in empowering local representatives,’ Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman stated, emphasizing that all financial, political, and administrative powers must, according to the Constitution, be handed to elected officials.
He warned that the new Local Government Act would undermine this principle by stripping Lahore of its metropolitan privileges.
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman criticized ruling parties for neglecting grassroots concerns, asserting that no other political party in Pakistan addresses public issues with the same focus as Jamaat e Islami. ‘We discuss both national and international issues, but the foundation of democracy starts with local governments,’ he added.
The JI chief accused the government of engineering a system that fosters ‘horse trading’ in political offices. ‘These are the same rulers who turn human lives into commodities in the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures,’ he said. He also condemned repeated amendments to the Act, calling them ‘a tool to delay elections and consume the rights of the people over four to five years.’
The referendum, according to Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, will take place across Punjab, including chambers, colleges, universities, markets, and shops. He announced that the results would be revealed in Mansoorah on January 18.
He further stated that based on the referendum outcomes, Jamaat e Islami plans to surround the Punjab Assembly until the government agrees to amend the controversial provisions.
This referendum comes as part of Jamaat e Islami’s ongoing campaign across Punjab to challenge the Local Government Act and advocate for true devolution of powers to local governments.
