The JI leader announced that his party would challenge the amendment in court and voiced support for the lawyers’ movement, which has taken a strong stand against the changes
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has strongly condemned the recent constitutional amendment on judicial appointments, calling it a manipulation of the process rather than addressing individual appointments. In a pointed statement, he emphasized the importance of seniority as a guiding principle for selecting judges, accusing the government of securing the amendment through political compromises.
Speaking to the media after attending a tree plantation event organized by the Al-Khidmat Foundation, Hafiz Naeem expressed shock at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) decision to submit names for the Chief Justice appointment to the parliamentary committee. “If PTI had refused, the very legitimacy of the committee would have been questioned,” he remarked. “By participating and then withdrawing, PTI has made the entire process suspect.”
JI chief criticized the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for sabotaging the judiciary since the regime change in 2022, accusing it of undermining democracy and enabling the government to pass favorable laws that would allow them to “seize control of the courts.” The JI leader announced that his party would challenge the amendment in court and voiced support for the lawyers’ movement, which has taken a strong stand against the changes.
Hafiz Naeem also raised concerns about the new amendment’s potential to create chaos in case allocations within the courts, opening what he described as a “Pandora’s box.” He noted that political parties, including PTI, compromised their stance on the controversial Form 47 election issue, thereby empowering the government to push through additional laws that he believes could dismantle the country’s constitutional framework.
The JI leader called for the release of all political prisoners, including PTI’s founding members, stating, “The entire judicial process has been subverted by those who lack a mandate. Those involved in this political theater will not be remembered kindly by history.”
In his broader remarks, Hafiz Naeem touched upon the critical environmental challenges facing Pakistan, praising the Al-Khidmat Foundation’s initiative to plant 1.1 million trees across the country. He stressed the importance of public participation in such environmental drives, pointing to the alarming levels of pollution and smog in major cities like Lahore, which he described as “gas chambers.”
