New LG system to empower bureaucracy, says JI

LAHORE: The Jamaat Islami has strongly criticized the newly enacted Local Government Bill in Punjab Assembly, accusing the PTI government of conspiring to transfer the powers of elected representatives to the bureaucracy by negating its claims of devolution of power to grassroots level.Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Thursday, JI central Punjab general secretary Javed Kasuri, naib ameer Bilal Qudrat Butt, Zikrullah Mujahid and Ramazan Rohari said not only the extreme haste in passing the bill by bulldozing the opposition was condemnable, but the abolition of districts as basic unit of local governments and installing it on tehsil level would establish the control of bureaucracy on them.Instead, the elected members should have been authorized over the bureaucracy by placing different departmental functions under them. They said the haste in which existing local governments were dissolved and administrators were appointed with the extended time of one year before holding elections was a serious joke with the nation and tantamount to ensure rigging in ruling party’s favor.They said the bill had numerous loopholes, making it bad legislation including the absence of the upper limit of election expenditures which would make polls a game for wealthy capitalists only.enforce Islam: Tanzeem e Islami (TI) ameer Hafiz Aakif Saeed has said that without enforcing Islam, Pakistan cannot become a secure and stable state and will keep facing constant existential threats.Addressing a seminar titled “Ramadan, Qur’an and Pakistan” here on Thursday, he said Pakistan is the only country established on the basis of Islamic ideology and its miraculous creation occurred on 27 Ramazan, this context creating a deep and special bond among Ramadan, Qur’an and Pakistan.He lamented that during the last 72 years Pakistani rulers violated the pledge of practically implement Islam, breaking that sacred bond, and consequently the nation faced the wrath of Allah in shape of losing half of the country.The remaining half was being consumed by internal strife, various discords and dissentions, insecurity, and uninhibited slavery to international powers. Dr Abdus Sami said the fundamental lesson of Ramazan is the philosophy of fearing Allah, adding that we all fear worldly losses but we lack the notion of genuine fear of Allah.TI’s information secretary Ayub Baig Mirza said Islam was the only thing that glued Bengali brethren with the people of West Pakistan, and they broke away when Islam weakened. Seerat conference: Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Akhtar has said that the problems being faced by the world can be solved in the light of the teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW).Addressing a Seerat-Un-Nabi (SAW) conference at the university’s Faisal Auditorium here on Thursday, he said, “Being the followers of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), we must act upon his teachings to make this world a happy place to live in and to get success in eternal life.”Institute of Islamic Studies Director Prof Dr Muhammad Saad Siddiqui, Prof Dr Hamid Ashraf Hamdani, Faculty of Oriental Learning Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, PU Academic Staff Association President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhary, Registrar Dr Muhammad Khalid Khan, Hall Council Chairman Prof Dr Abid Hussain Chaudhary, IER Director Prof Dr Rafaqat Ali Akbar, faculty members, administrative officers and a large number of employees were present.

from The News International - Lahore http://bit.ly/2GYlytF