Faisalabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has categorically rejected the local government law introduced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), terming it anti-democratic and unacceptable under any circumstances. He said Jamaat-e-Islami will neither accept this black law nor allow local government elections to be held under it.Talking to journalists during his visit to a public referendum camp at Ghanta Ghar Chowk, Faisalabad, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the PML-N, fearing the people of Punjab, had imposed a democracy-hostile local government system. He added that the public referendum on the local government law has awakened the people of the province and will further accelerate the struggle for the establishment of empowered local governments. On the third day of the four-day public referendum, a large number of men and women participated across the province. Thousands of polling camps established in all districts of Punjab witnessed enthusiasm. The four-day referen dum will conclude on Sunday evening, after which the results will be announced.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that in light of the referendum results, Jamaat-e-Islami will announce its future course of action, including surrounding the Punjab Assembly, and protests will continue until the withdrawal of the local government law. He added that Jamaat-e-Islami's movement for the establishment of empowered local governments across the country will be intensified further. He said that in LG Law, Lahore has been divided into nine parts and Faisalabad into five, adding that the ruling Sharif family is even afraid of an empowered mayor. He said ruling political parties are unwilling to devolve power, not only to the public but even to their own party workers. He pointed out that the law proposes non-party-based local government elections and that even the union council chairman will not be elected through direct public vote.The JI Emir said that while the Constitution guarantees empowered local governments, provincial governments have deviated from this mandate. In Punjab, he noted, no local government elections have been held for the past ten years, and bureaucrats have taken control of authority.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman further said that despite independence, the country remains trapped in a colonial-era bureaucratic system, leaving elected public representatives powerless. He expressed regret that Nawaz Sharif raised the slogan of 'respect the vote' but accepted seat through Form-47 while his daughter became chief minister despite losing a provincial assembly seat, and his brother became prime minister despite losing a National Assembly seat.He said that no political party other than Jamaat-e-Islami is seriously talking about empowering the people, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami is challenging the PML-N's monopoly in Punjab. He urged the public to participate actively in the referendum to secure their rights and ensure the establishment of empowered local governments.