Hafiz Saeed casts vote in Lahore
LAHORE: Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed asked the people to cast vote for “Pakistan’s ideology” as he cast his vote in the general election in which his son and son-in-law are contesting candidates.
He cast his vote in Lahore’s Wafaqi Colony amid concerns in the country over the participation of Islamist hardliners in election in large numbers. The Milli Muslim League (MML), the political wing of Saeed's banned Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), has fielded 260 candidates for the national and provincial polls under the umbrella of little known outfit Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT).
Hafiz Talha Saeed, the son of Saeed, is contesting from NA-91 seat from Sargodha (200 km from Lahore), the home town of JuD leader. Saeed’s son-in-law Khalid Waleed is a candidate in PP-167. The candidates are contesting under the AAT banner as the election commission has denied registration to MML.
Talking to reporters after casting his vote, Saeed said the people should come out of their homes and vote for “Pakistan’s ideology”. “I wish the election turns out to be useful for the country,” he said, urging people to vote for “chair’ — the AAT symbol. The JuD was declared as a terrorist outfit by the US in June 2014. The group is a front for LeT, a terror group that conducted the 2008 Mumbai attack. Saeed carries a $10 million bounty for his role in terror activities.