JI urges CJ to refuse extension

ISLAMABAD:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, has raised the alarm over the sharp divide within the country's highest court, the Supreme Court, calling it highly unfortunate for the nation.

He stressed that the buck stops with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who, he said, must step up and remedy the crisis.

"Chief Justice Isa should clearly announce that, regardless of any constitutional amendments, he will not seek an extension. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah should be the next chief justice of Pakistan," the JI chief asserted during a press conference in Islamabad.

He condemned "secretive nighttime meetings" regarding constitutional amendments, warning that such actions undermine transparency.

In his address, Hafiz Naeem also criticised Israel's aggressive actions against Palestine and expressed disappointment with the silence of Muslim leaders.

He praised the courage of the people of Gaza and announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would observe this week as a time of solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon.

"We salute the bravery of Gaza's people. JI will hold rallies in Chitral today, October 4 in Faisalabad, October 6 in Karachi, and a million-man march in Islamabad on October 7," he said.

He urged all Pakistanis to take to the streets and show the world that they stand with the Palestinians, adding that JI would seek cooperation from other political parties for joint protests and reach out to global Islamic movements to expand the campaign.

The JI chief also criticised the government's economic policies, calling them a form of "economic terrorism".

He said the "Haq Do Awam Ko" (Give People Their Rights) movement would continue against the government's broken promises, with the next phase of the movement to be announced after the October 7 march.