Hafiz Naeemur Rehman was elected as the new Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer on Thursday, succeeding Sirajul Haq for the coveted party slot.

To elect the new Ameer, the JI election commission president announced three names including Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Sirajul Haq, and Liaquat Baloch.

The new leader’s tenure will be five years, from April 2024 to April 2029. The election of a new leader after every five years is part of the religio-political party’s by-laws.

As many as 46,000 members, including 6,000 women, from across the country cast their votes through secret balloting for the new leader. Election Commission President Rashid Minhas announced the results.

The outgoing Ameer Siraj would complete his second term on April 8. Rehman would be the party’s sixth leader serving in the top position.

According to JI spokesperson Qaisar Sharif, Ameer Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi was the founder of the party. Mian Tufail Muhammad, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Syed Munawar Hussain, and Sirajul Haq have served in the same capacity.

Prior to this, Rehman was the JI Ameer in Karachi. He has been very active in the city, however, now he would make Mansoora, Lahore his centre after assuming the role of JI Ameer.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Rehman on getting elected as Ameer of JI. He expressed best wishes for Rehman and appreciated him for his services to his party.

He expressed hope that under the leadership of the new leader JI would play an active role in strengthening democracy and public welfare.