LAHORE: Responding to a call by Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, large-scale protest sit-ins were staged across central Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Gujranwala, against the Punjab government’s Local Government Act 2025, which protesters termed a “black law.”

The demonstrations were led by Jamaat-i-Islami’s central, provincial, district and local leaders and drew significant public participation. Protesters carried banners and placards rejecting the local government law introduced by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, arguing that it strengthens bureaucratic control instead of empowering elected local representatives.

They demanded party-based local government elections, transfer of all administrative and financial powers to elected bodies, and direct, secret-ballot elections for union council chairmen and vice chairmen.

In Lahore, the sit-in was held outside the Press Club, led by Ziauddin Ansari Advocate.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch accused the government of usurping the people’s right to self-governance. “The government cannot provide education, healthcare or jobs, yet it spends billions on advertisements and hollow slogans of development,” he said.

Ansari warned that if demands were not accepted, protests would be staged outside the Punjab Assembly and the Chief Minister’s House. He said the act strips elected representatives of authority, empowers bureaucracy, and promotes horse-trading through indirect and non-party-based elections, calling it unconstitutional. “Punjab needs a strong, independent and empowered local government system, not a crippled one,” he added.

In Faisalabad, Dr Usama Razi said the ruling elite wanted to monopolise power and render the public helpless.

Punjab Emir Muhammad Javed Qasuri termed the act anti-people and undemocratic, demanding direct elections for women, labour, minorities and youth representatives.

Similar protests were held in Multan, where JI south Punjab Emir Syed Zeeshan Akhtar said the law violated Article 140-A of the Constitution, which guarantees empowered local governments. He criticised the denial of direct elections and warned that non-party-based polls would institutionalise horse-trading at the grassroots level.

Demonstrations were also reported from Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2025