US terror listed group vows to run in elections

APakistani political party placed on the US list of foreign terrorist organisations vowed yesterday to continue its political activities and participate in upcoming elections.

The Milli Muslim League ( MML) is controlled by Islamist leader Hafiz Saeed, who has a $ 10 million ( Dh3.67 million) US bounty on his head. The group shot to prominence after fielding a candidate in a September 2017 by- election to fill a seat vacated by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The US State Department on Tuesday termed MML an alias for militant organisation Lashkar- e- Taiba ( LeT), or Army of the Pure.

“We clearly state that on US announcements we will not discontinue our political activities at any cost,” MML president Saifullah Khalid said, reading from a statement in Karachi.

“Milli Muslim League will fully participate in the 2018 elections andwill field candidates from across Pakistan.” Saeed is the founder of LeT, which is also on the US terrorist list and blamed by the US and India for a four- day militant attack on Mumbai in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.

Saeed has repeatedly denied involvement in the attack.