Islamabad: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab, Dr. Tariq Saleem, has rejected the Punjab government’s new Local Government Law, calling it a ‘black law,’ and announced that the party will challenge it in court as well as launch a public movement against it. Addressing a press conference at the Jamaat-e-Islami office in Gujrat, he said protest demonstrations will be held across Punjab on December 7, while JI Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman will lead and address a major protest in front of the Punjab Assembly, which will be broadcast live nationwide.
Dr. Tariq Saleem questioned why the PML-N and its allied parties, who call themselves champions of democracy, want to hold local government elections on a non-party basis. He said that those who raise the slogan of ‘respect the vote’ now want chairmen to be elected through councillors instead of the public, which he warned would worsen horse trading and undermine the integrity of local representatives. He urged the government to conduct local government elections on time, on party basis, and ensure that chairmen are elected directly by the people.
Acting Ameer JI District Gujrat Rana Umar Siddique, Ameer JI Gujrat City Raja Sajid Sharif, and General Secretary Raja Naeem Khawar were present on the occasion.
Criticizing the Punjab government’s new Road Safety Act, Dr. Tariq Saleem termed it ‘cruel and unjust,’ stating that fines have been increased several hundred times, with penalties of Rs 2,000 to 5,000 even for minor violations. He noted that fines in Gujrat city are far higher than those on the motorway and questioned how low-income citizens could afford such heavy penalties. He said the government has revived the memories of the ‘Sikha Shahi’ era, adding that citizens and Qingchi drivers are being detained in police stations.
He argued that in a city like Gujrat, where average speed rarely exceeds 20-30 km/h, imposing a Rs 5,000 fine for not wearing a seatbelt is excessive. He added that helmet prices have skyrocketed from Rs 800 to nearly Rs 5,000, making compliance even harder. He also criticized the condition of Punjab’s roads, asking how the government could impose heavy fines without first repairing basic infrastructure or providing public transport.
Dr. Tariq Saleem said the government appears more focused on restricting livelihoods, such as by penalizing Qingchi riders, rather than promoting genuine public welfare. He also questioned the inconsistency of allowing Basant kite-flying after earlier bans, remarking that the government is failing to promote healthy activities while neglecting safety concerns.
He warned that the government’s governance style-marked by extrajudicial actions, disproportionate fines and policy contradictions-is pushing the public toward resentment. He cautioned that people could take to the streets against a government ‘that lacks genuine public mandate’ and described the current rulers as ‘products of Form 47.’