Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Wednesday said that provincial governments are unwilling to devolve powers to the grassroots level, warning that the current local government framework in Punjab reflects a shift away from democratic norms.Speaking to journalists outside the Lahore High Court after a hearing on the party's petition against the Punjab local government law, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the legislation had been formally challenged for being inconsistent with the Constitution. He said that the provincial government was avoiding local body elections and attempting to introduce a system in which councillors would be elected on a non-party basis, depriving citizens of meaningful representation at the union council level. 'The proposed law restricts people from electing their representatives freely at the grassroots level,' he said, adding that the spirit of democracy was being undermined.The JI chief further said that instead of strengthening democratic institu tions, the provincial setup was concentrating authority at the top. 'An impression of authoritarianism is emerging in Punjab as powers are not being transferred downward,' he remarked. Criticising mainstream political parties, particularly Pakistan Muslim League (N), he said they were not serious about holding local government elections, which has resulted in unresolved public issues at the community level. He added that such parties operated on familial lines and did not allow new leadership to emerge within their ranks.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the court proceedings showed positive progress, noting that the bench had indicated the case should not face unnecessary delays, raising expectations of an early hearing. He demanded that a new local government law be introduced to ensure genuine public representation and effective devolution of powers. 'A transparent and empowered local government system is essential for strengthening democracy,' he added.The JI emir also expressed concern over the ongoing elect ricity crisis, saying prolonged load-shedding had made life difficult for citizens. He noted that despite an installed generation capacity of around 49,000 megawatts, power outages continued for hours in various parts of the country. He urged the government to take immediate and effective measures to address issues in the energy sector and provide relief to the public.