At a members’ convention in Sargodha, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Dr Tariq Saleem called for an intensification of the struggle against what he described as an outdated political system imposed on Pakistan, urging an organized JI movement to restore the people’s right to rule. He said the country requires a great revolutionary movement to reclaim political authority that, he asserted, has been taken from the public.
Dr Tariq Saleem criticised traditional parties, saying the PML-N and PPP have long misled voters by posing as rivals while serving common interests. He presented Jamaat-e-Islami’s growing membership and public committees across Pakistan as a milestone and argued that a disciplined JI movement is necessary to tackle entrenched misgovernance and corruption.
Announcing plans for an Ijtima e Aam in November, Dr Tariq Saleem said the gathering will seek to mobilize public sentiment against what he called corrupt and outdated elements in governance and to free the nation from a system that, in his view, sidelines popular authority. He emphasised that the party would work with citizens in a spirit of cooperation and partnership to address the country’s problems.
Reiterating Jamaat-e-Islami’s long-standing stance on national identity, Dr Saleem said Pakistan’s identity is founded on ideology and warned that the ruling elite aim to deprive the country of that character. He maintained that in Pakistan’s 78-year history there has not been a single day under an Islamic system and criticised current institutions — including courts, parliament and seats of power — for acting contrary to the orders of Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ).
Dr Tariq Saleem called for a mass rise to defend citizens’ rights and revive democracy through collective action, underlining that a sustained JI movement is the path to restoring public rule. Local party leaders addressing the convention included Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sargodha Owais Qasim Tala, Naib Ameer Mian Inam-ul-Haq Qaiser, Dr Ghulam Murtaza, Aamir Mahmood Cheema and Pervaiz Asghar Cheema, who reaffirmed support for the nationwide mobilisation outlined by the Punjab leadership.
