KARACHI, Nov 14: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Thursday launched a fresh critique of the ruling coalition and opposition parties, urging Pakistan’s “influential high-ups” to publicly reject the immunity granted under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. He reiterated his party’s resolve to pursue “true democracy” while expanding its social welfare initiatives.
Speaking at the Meet the Press programme at the Karachi Press Club, the JI chief accused mainstream political parties of “selling their mandate for short-term gains” and holding both democracy and the Constitution “hostage.”
He said the 26th and 27th Amendments had “exposed undemocratic forces,” declaring the 27th Amendment “unconstitutional and un-Islamic,” particularly its immunity clauses covering the president and the field marshal. “Even the Khulafa-e-Rashideen presented themselves for accountability,” he said. “Those who claim moral authority should step forward and reject this immunity.”
Hafiz Naeem said the JI would not enter electoral alliances, instead adopting a two-track approach: pushing for democratic reforms and expanding social welfare. He cited the party’s Bano Qabil IT-skills programme as an example of its commitment to public empowerment rather than “politics of empty criticism.”
Taking aim at the PPP, he accused the party of “shielding influential individuals from judicial scrutiny” and said so-called democratic forces were “power-hungry dynasties nurtured by dictators.” He termed it ironic that “a grandson of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is defending unconditional amendments to the 1973 Constitution.”
On regional security, the JI chief urged Kabul to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism, emphasising that “wars never bring peace—responsible diplomacy does.”
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Issuing a sharp warning to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said: “Your anti-democratic approach will bring consequences. A time may come when neither you nor your cabinet will have access to a helicopter.” He urged the government to learn from the recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, saying global youth-led movements were reshaping politics.
Hafiz Naeem says his party will not make any electoral alliance. https://t.co/Q138FCjBdT
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 14, 2025
Turning to Sindh’s dire education indicators, Hafiz Naeem criticised the “deplorable” state of schools despite a Rs613 billion budget, noting that “eight out of nine children fail to reach higher education” and more than 20 million children nationwide remain out of school.
“We will continue our struggle for real democracy and the welfare of the people,” he concluded.
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