Chief Justice should promptly take notice of two critical issues, election rigging & Dubai property leaks scandal: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman

LAHORE, May 17 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman emphasized that the Chief Justice should promptly take notice of two critical issues: election rigging and the Dubai property leaks scandal. 

Speaking at a press conference held at Mansoorah on Friday, he underscored the imperative for the apex court to requisition the asset declaration report from the Election Commission and demand explanations from individuals regarding the sources of their wealth sent abroad.

He underscored the Election Commission’s responsibility to scrutinize asset records and take punitive measures against those implicated in the property scandal, disqualifying them from holding public office. He asserted that individuals who fail to disclose their assets to the Election Commission, despite declaring them to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), should be deemed ineligible under Articles 62 and 63.

Emphasizing the need for National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intervention, he urged them to probe the money laundering, thereby reaffirming their autonomy and commitment as anti-corruption watchdogs. He highlighted that the leaked information implicated politicians, generals, bureaucrats, and business magnates alike, stressing that no individual should be considered immune from accountability. The public, he emphasized, demands transparency and accountability, seeking clear money trails.

He questioned the prevailing system where the elite invest abroad while governing the country, asserting that public dissent cannot be stifled by authorities any longer.

Rehman criticized the Kissan Package recently unveiled by the Punjab government, labelling it as yet another ostentatious maneuver with a high likelihood of breeding widespread corruption. He lamented that at a time when the government should be actively procuring wheat from farmers, it instead shunned its responsibility citing a depleted national exchequer, only to later announce a purported Rs400 package for farmers. 

“It’s a sham,” he asserted, emphasizing that the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) would vehemently oppose any such corruption. He disclosed JI’s initiative to establish Kissan Committees across Punjab to meticulously document the losses incurred by farmers during the wheat crisis, with the intention of compelling the government to transparently compensate for these losses.

He demanded a thorough and transparent investigation into the wheat import scandal, warning that failure to disclose the identities involved would confirm suspicions of a cover-up among the ruling elite, shielding each other’s crimes and corruption.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza, Rehman announced JI’s plans to organize a Palestine march in Peshawar on May 19, urging the public to participate actively in this demonstration of support.

In a stance against proposed governmental regulations aimed at curtailing freedom of expression and controlling the media, Rehman unequivocally rejected such measures. He called upon the media fraternity to unite in