Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, said ruling parties are afraid and allergic to democracy [1, 2].
These accusations highlight a deepening divide between the country's established political leadership and ideological parties seeking a shift in how the state is governed. The critique targets the structural nature of the ruling parties, suggesting that their internal hierarchies prevent genuine democratic progress.
Speaking at an Ijtima-e-Jamaat-e-Islami gathering, Naeem-ur-Rehman said Nawaz Sharif and the chief minister of Punjab were criticized [1, 2]. He said the current leadership is unable to bring genuine change to society [1, 2].
Naeem-ur-Rehman said the current political system is dominated by specific types of organizations that stifle progress. "Family enterprises and cult-based political parties can't bring change in society," he said [2].
The gathering saw a significant turnout, with participants numbering in the lacs, or hundreds of thousands [2]. This scale of attendance serves as a demonstration of the party's mobilization capabilities, and its reach across the region.
The leader's remarks focused on the contrast between the ruling parties' public stances and their actual governance. He said that the ruling parties are allergic to democracy [1].
“Ruling parties are afraid and allergic to democracy.”
The rhetoric used by Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman reflects a broader challenge to the dynastic nature of Pakistani politics. By labeling ruling parties as 'family enterprises,' Jamaat-e-Islami is attempting to frame the political struggle not just as a contest between candidates, but as a systemic conflict between hereditary power structures and ideological governance.
