JI urges dialogue on political system
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has called for a comprehensive national dialogue to address the country's political, constitutional and economic challenges.
He urged the release of political prisoners, electoral reforms, an independent judiciary and greater empowerment of local governments.
In a video statement on Sunday, the JI chief said the country's decision-makers had themselves acknowledged the failure of the existing system, making it imperative to initiate a broad-based national dialogue involving all political parties and stakeholders.
He called for the release of all political prisoners, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, and stressed that future elections must fully reflect the will of the people without interference.
He said citizens should be free to elect or reject political parties through a transparent electoral process.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also proposed introducing a proportional representation electoral system, arguing that voters should cast their ballots on the basis of political parties' manifestos rather than individual candidates.
He further called for an end to dynastic politics and greater internal democracy within political parties.
On judicial reforms, he said the judiciary should be free from political influence and that judges should be appointed strictly on merit.
The JI chief urged the government to strengthen local governments by holding timely local body elections and incorporating a dedicated chapter on local governments into the Constitution.
He also suggested building political consensus on creating new administrative units and provinces where necessary.
Referring to security and governance issues, he proposed convening a grand jirga or a national commission to address the challenges facing Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He also called for an all-parties conference involving political leadership and other stakeholders.
Regarding the economy, he urged the government to formulate a comprehensive national policy on mineral resources and immediately begin work on the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project.
He said lower electricity, gas and petroleum prices were essential to promote industrial growth.
He said Pakistan should ensure equal economic opportunities for all citizens and invest in artificial intelligence and information technology by creating opportunities for young people and establishing large-scale data centres.
Criticising the energy sector, he said Pakistan had surplus electricity generation, yet consumers continued to bear the burden of capacity payments.
He alleged that the absence of a coherent power policy had benefited a limited number of stakeholders at the expense of the public.
The JI chief also called for reforms in the agriculture sector, including measures to phase out the feudal system, promote cooperative farming and improve wheat and cotton production.