Islamabad: On the fourth and final day of the four-day public referendum organized across Punjab against the provincial government’s local government law, a large number of men and women participated by recording their opinions on ballot papers. Enthusiasm remained high at thousands of polling camps established in districts throughout the province.
On this occasion, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Dr. Tariq Saleem visited referendum camps in Rawalpindi and Jhelum, where he was warmly received by party workers and local leadership, including Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Rawalpindi Syed Arif Shirazi and Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Jhelum Dr. Qasim Mahmood Chaudhry.
Addressing citizens at the camps, Dr. Tariq Saleem said that if the people reject the Punjab Local Government Act through the referendum, Jamaat-e-Islami will announce a siege of the Punjab Assembly, which will continue until what he termed the “black law” is withdrawn. He said the people of Punjab have been deprived of local government elections and their right to rule for the past ten years, adding that ruling political parties are unwilling to empower the public, or even their own party workers. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the anti-people local government law and the announcement of a final date for local government elections in Punjab.
Criticizing the proposed non-party-based elections, he said the law denies citizens the right to directly elect Union Council chairmen, which contradicts the spirit of the constitution. The constitution, he added, clearly calls for empowered local governments, while provincial governments continue to deviate from this mandate.
Dr. Tariq Saleem said that no local government elections have been held in Punjab for the past decade and that bureaucracy has effectively taken control of governance. He noted that a strong wave of public awareness is rising across Punjab against what he described as a law hostile to democracy and the constitution, alongside a growing demand for an effective and empowered local government system. He further stated that the local government system is virtually non-existent not only in Punjab but also in other provinces, and that through this public referendum, politically conscious citizens will deliver a clear message that they will not accept the current local government law under any circumstances. Warning the government, he said that if public opinion is ignored, Jamaat-e-Islami will further organize and intensify its movement. He emphasized that this struggle is not limited to Jamaat-e-Islami alone but represents the broader fight for the people’s right to rule. The public referendum, he concluded, is clear evidence that the people of Punjab reject bureaucratic dominance and demand a strong, empowered, and people-centric local government system.
