“Not only the judiciary, but the entire justice system has been destroyed,” he says.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated that amendments tailored to the interests of “two ruling families” have distorted the Constitution, and that the damage is not limited to the judiciary alone—rather, the entire justice system has been wrecked. He said the wealthy can purchase justice, while the poor spend their lives moving from one court to another without relief. “This is a system of oppression,” he added, “and as long as it remains, the dream of development and prosperity cannot be achieved.”
He expressed these views while addressing a reception at Mansoorah, held under the auspices of the Islamic Lawyers Movement, in honour of newly elected representatives and office-bearers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Bar Association, Pakistan Tax Bar Association, Pakistan Business Forum, and Islamic Lawyers Movement Pakistan.
Other speakers at the event included Ziauddin Ansari Advocate, Asad Manzoor Butt Advocate, Babar Murtaza Khan, Irfan Hayat Bajwa, Sheikh Ehsanul Haq, and Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Mangat. Former office-bearers, senior lawyers, and business representatives were also in attendance.
Rehman emphasized that judicial independence and the restoration of the Constitution are the core objectives of Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Badal Do Nizam” movement. He urged lawyers to stand up for the mission of constitutional restoration and to support the movement.
He said no society can survive under a system of injustice, and that reforming the justice system is essential to reverse educational, economic, and social decline. Describing the current justice system as a “decaying corpse,” he claimed that those who tamper with the Constitution are elevated to high offices, while those who should be held accountable ridicule the courts. He further alleged that the country has been turned into a police state, where feudal lords and capitalists exploit the public by buying influence in courts and police stations.
Rehman also claimed that various mafias—such as the sugar, drug, flour, and petroleum mafias—have captured key levers of power and are exploiting the public. He said there is no effective accountability, and alleged that billions are collected daily from motorcyclists, labourers, and students in the name of petroleum levy. According to him, the poor, farmers, and salaried classes bear the burden of taxation, while the wealthy and feudal elite remain largely unaccountable and live lavishly on public funds.
He criticized the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), alleging that more than 25,000 employees sit idle while drawing billions in salaries without meaningful accountability.
Concluding, he said no government can tackle major challenges without public support, and that given the global and regional situation, Pakistan needs a truly representative government. He claimed those “imposed” in power fear holding local government elections and are unwilling to allow the direct election of union council chairmen by the people. He warned that practices of vote-buying seen in the Senate and assemblies could spread to thousands of union councils. He urged lawyers to become the frontline force of Jamaat-e-Islami’s movement for the protection of the Constitution and the supremacy of law.
