LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced that a nationwide public referendum will be held on January 15 in support of an empowered local government system. While addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Tuesday, he said the JI will encircle the Punjab Assembly to protest the black local government law of Punjab. He earlier presided over a consultative meeting on the local government system, particularly the recently introduced Punjab LG Act. Rehman demanded immediate withdrawal of the law. He called for the transfer of all powers to local governments in accordance with the Article 140-A of the Constitution and the holding of timely local government elections in the province. The JI, he said, would not accept any assault on the nursery of democracy. He warned of strong resistance against bureaucratic rule and any monarchical system, saying the ruling elite wanted to turn even union councils into a marketplace of power after the Senate and National Assembly. He said the party had challenged the law in courts and would also take the matter to the court of the people. He urged the public, especially the youth, to actively join JI’s movement for empowered local governments. Criticising the ruling PML-N, Rehman said the slogan of “respect the vote” had been exposed in the general elections, and that those who came to power through Form-47 had now decided to hold non-party-based local government elections. “We will not remain silent over this attack on the people’s mandate,” he asserted. He announced that independent referendum commissions would be formed at the central and provincial levels for the January 15 referendum, and that opinions of millions of citizens would be sought. He also urged the chief election commissioner to stop delaying tactics and fulfil his constitutional responsibility by holding local government elections. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would contest elections in all union councils of Punjab and was confident of achieving significant success, adding that the movement for systemic change would further intensify. Commenting on the national and provincial situation, the JI Emir said governance in the country’s largest province had collapsed, with education and health sectors in disarray. He criticised the sale of 14,000 schools in Punjab and said that at the federal level, the entire PIA had effectively been sold at the price of a single aircraft. On foreign affairs, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said Israel’s nefarious agenda was advancing with full backing from the United States. He added that occupied Kashmir was being devastated and called on Pakistan’s armed forces to play their role on that front. Senior Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, deputy emirs, provincial emirs, district leadership and members of political committees from across the country were present at the press conference. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025