LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said that the government has distorted the Constitution of Pakistan and vowed that his party will, InshaAllah, “restore it to its original form.”
Hafiz Naeem made these remarks while addressing lawyers at the Lahore Bar Association in Aiwan-e-Adl here on Tuesday, where he received a warm welcome from the legal community. He was accompanied by Jamaat-e-Islami Information Secretary Sajid Namus.
The JI chief said that even during the 26th Constitutional Amendment, his party had taken a clear stance in defense of the constitution and continues to stand by it today.
He criticised the 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying, “The post of Chief Justice of Pakistan has been abolished and replaced with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Now, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court will be appointed by the prime minister — whoever he wants, that person will become Chief Justice.”
Hafiz Naeem said that the Judicial Commission is now dominated by government representatives, whereas earlier, judges held the majority. He asserted that the constitution declares the sovereignty of Allah Almighty, and therefore, no individual — no matter how powerful — can be granted immunity.
He criticised the government’s economic claims, saying, “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the economy is on the right track according to the stock exchange, but the reality tells a different story.”
The JI leader emphasized that Pakistan’s system needs fundamental reform and that a long and determined struggle will be required to bring about real change. He also expressed concern over the political and electoral system, saying, “Senators have become a commodity which can be bought and sold. When the establishment supports us, we say ‘Long live,’ but when it supports others, we cry ‘Down with it.’”
Hafiz Naeem criticised the government for delaying local body elections, saying, “Since 2015, there have been no local government elections in Punjab. Now they have brought a Local Government Act that calls for non-party-based elections.”
