Pak govt urges court to deny clearance to Hafiz Saeed’s political party

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has requested a court here not to consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League’s plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political



party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the MML’s petition, said that it opposed the group’s registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML’s plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency’s report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party “would breed violence and extremism in politics”.