HAFIZ SAEED TO REBRAND JUD, LAUNCH HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY

ISLAMABAD: Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed has reportedly decided to launch his own political party in Pakistan, aiming to rebrand the Jamaat-udDawa as the Milli Muslim League Pakistan, news reports have said.

Saeed — accused of mastermindingthe2008Mumbaiattacks that killed 166 people — will reportedly register his party with the Election Commission of Pakistan, with an eye on the 2018 general elections. The party will be formally launched on August 14 — the country’s independence day — in Lahore.

Insiders say the name Milli Muslim League is yet to be formalised, but the party has received the blessings of the ISI.

Political observers say that Saeed’s party will counter mainstream political parties in Punjab province and may cut into the vote bank of Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N party. Given the JuD’s welfare work under the popular Falahi Insaniyat Foundation in Sindh, the party may even secure votes in some rural areas of the province, including the Hindu majority division of Tharparkar.

“It is too early to say what happens but a number of seats may be affected by this,” analyst Farrukh Pitafi said.

India has reacted sharply to reports emerging of the Milli Muslim League. External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, “It appears that a person whose hands are stained with blood of innocent lives... such an individual is wanting to hide his blood stained hands behind the ballot ink. The person who traded in bullets to take lives, is he trying to hide behind ballot?”