Hafiz Naeem elected JI chief

LAHORE: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has been elected as Ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan for a five-year term.

The announcement was made by JI Election Commission head Rashid Naseem, along with members of the Election Cell during a press conference at Mansoorah on Thursday. He told the media that the majority of JI members, known as Rukn, cast their votes in favour of Hafiz Naeem to lead the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. A professional engineer by trade, Hafiz Naeem currently serves as Ameer of the JI Karachi chapter. His tenure as JI Ameer Pakistan will end on April 8, 2029. Prior to his involvement in national politics, Naeem was actively engaged in student politics and held the position of elected Nazim-e-Aaala (president) of the Islami Jamiat Tulaba. Naseem revealed that over 82 per cent JI members participated in the election of JI Ameer.

The JI has over 45,000 members, including approximately 6,000 women, and they take part in the election of JI Ameer. The JI Election Commission, an elected body itself, is responsible for overseeing the election process of JI Ameer. Comprising head Rashid Naseem, Secretary Qudratullah Butt and Members Dr Ata-ur-Rehman, Sardar Zafar Hussain and Engineer Akhlaq Ahmed, the commission was specifically elected by the JI Majlise Shura for the purpose of conducting the Ameer election.

Naseem affirmed that the commission’s duties culminated with the successful election of JI Ameer. The JI Shura is also a 100-plus member elected body. Naseem said the election of JI Ameer was conducted through secret balloting. The election process commenced on February 19 with the printing and distribution of ballot papers among Rukns, concluding on March 25. Naseem said the election process was smooth and peaceful, culminating on April 3. The JI Shura had proposed three names for consideration of JI members: the current Ameer Sirajul Haq, Vice-Ameer Liaquat Baloch and Hafiz Naeem. However, the members were free to suggest any other name.

It’s noteworthy that the Jamaat-e-Islami is the only political party in Pakistan that regularly conducts intra-party elections since its establishment in 1941. The party’s founding Ameer was Syed Maududi, a renowned religious scholar, writer and politician. Subsequently, Mian Tufail Muhammad, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Syed Munawar Hassan and Sirajul Haq served as the second, third, fourth and fifth Ameer of the JI, respectively.