Islamabad, January 18, 2026: The four-day public referendum organized across Punjab against the provincial government’s local government law concluded on Sunday, with large numbers of men and women participating by recording their opinions on ballot papers. Enthusiasm remained high at thousands of polling camps set up across districts of the province on the fourth and final day of the exercise.
On the occasion, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Dr. Tariq Saleem visited referendum camps in Rawalpindi and Jhelum, where he was warmly received by party workers and local leadership, including Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Rawalpindi Syed Arif Shirazi and Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Jhelum Dr. Qasim Mahmood Chaudhry.
Addressing citizens at the camps, Dr. Tariq Saleem warned that if the people reject the Punjab Local Government Act through the referendum, Jamaat-e-Islami would announce a siege of the Punjab Assembly, which would continue until what he termed the “black law” is withdrawn. He said the people of Punjab have been deprived of local government elections and their right to rule for the past ten years, accusing successive ruling parties of being unwilling to empower citizens or even their own party workers.
He demanded the immediate withdrawal of what he described as an anti-people local government law and called for the announcement of a final date for local government elections in Punjab. Criticizing the proposed non-party-based elections, Dr. Tariq Saleem said the law denies citizens the right to directly elect Union Council chairmen, which he said contradicts the spirit of the constitution. The constitution, he added, clearly mandates empowered local governments, while provincial governments continue to deviate from this requirement.
Dr. Tariq Saleem said that no local government elections have been held in Punjab for a decade, allowing bureaucracy to effectively take control of governance. He noted that a strong wave of public awareness is emerging across the province against what he described as a law hostile to democracy and the constitution, alongside growing demands for an effective and empowered local government system.
He further said that the local government system is virtually non-functional not only in Punjab but also in other provinces. Through the public referendum, he added, politically conscious citizens would deliver a clear message that they will not accept the current local government law under any circumstances. Warning the government against ignoring public opinion, he said Jamaat-e-Islami would further organize and intensify its movement if necessary.
Dr. Tariq Saleem emphasized that the struggle is not limited to Jamaat-e-Islami alone but represents a broader fight for the people’s right to rule. The public referendum, he concluded, is clear evidence that the people of Punjab reject bureaucratic dominance and demand a strong, empowered, and people-centric local government system.
