Saeed party to drag Pak poll body to court

The Milli Muslim League ( MML), the political face of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s JuD, on Monday accused Pakistan’s election commission of using delaying tactics to register the group as a political party and committing contempt of court.

Saeed has already started campaigning for the MML with an eye on the general elections in Pakistan expected to be held on July 27.

The US last month designated the MML as a foreign terrorist organisation, saying the banned Lashkar- e- Taiba ( LeT) members make up MML’s leadership and the socalled party openly displays Saeed’s likeness in its election banners and literature.

The MML has not been yet registered by the Election Commission of Pakistan ( ECP).

“We are going to file a contempt of court petition in the Islamabad high court against the ECP for using delaying tactics regarding enlisting of MML as a political party as per law,” MML President Saifullah Khalid said in a statement today.

Khalid said that the ECP’s “tactics” are in clear violation of the high court verdict that forwarded the MML application to the ECP for enlisting it as a political entity but it is yet to comply with the orders.

Hafiz Saeed’s JuD on Monday accused Pakistan’s election commission of using delaying tactics to register the group as a political party and committing contempt of court

The court in March had set aside the ECP order declining registration of the MML. Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC bench had referred this matter to the ECP directing the electoral body to pass a speaking order in this matter.

The MML had challenged the October 11 order of the ECP declining registration to the MML as a political party allegedly on the behest of the interior ministry.

The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party, arguing that it is an offshoot of the Jammat- ud-Dawah of Saeed banned under a UN resolution.

Khalid said the basic law of the country gives the people the right to take part in political process and the ECP can not deny them this fundamental right.