Interior Ministry denounces registration to MML for upcoming elections

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior on Wednesday denounced making any space for Pakistan’s controversial political party Milli Muslim League (MML) to contest the July 25 general elections.
The party is yet to register itself with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as a political entity, which awaits the approval of the Interior Ministry.
“The registration of MML cannot be supported,” the Ministry said in response to MML’s preparations to field its candidates across Pakistan.
“There is evidence to substantiate that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) are affiliates and ideologically the same,” Yasir Shakeel, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior told Arab News.
MML, a political party affiliated with Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, announced the launch of its nationwide election campaign from next month despite being on the US list of globally designated terrorist organizations.
“We can’t dissociate ourselves from Jamaat-ud-Dawa just on the basis of national and international propaganda against Hafiz Saeed,” MML President Saifullah Khalid told Arab News.
Khalid claimed that the seven-member central leadership of the party is not involved in any crime and it is their “basic human right” to form their own political party and contest the elections.
ECP spokesperson Altaf Khan said that MML was not listed as a political party as the Ministry of Interior had some “reservations” over the political faction.
“Their (MML) application for registration is pending with the election commission,” he told Arab News.
“However, even if the party is not registered, they can field their candidates in constituencies as independents,” he said.
The MML claims to have a “network of followers and leaders across Pakistan” and is set to field candidates in all provinces of the country, vowing to contest elections irrespective of registration with the ECP.
“The Election Commission has no authority to stop a candidate from contesting election if he is honest and has no criminal background,” Khan said.
However the ECP would scrutinize the nomination papers of candidates including those backed by the MML and if they were not convicted of any crime they could contest the election, he said.
In August 2017, the JuD announced it would enter mainstream politics through the MML. Since then, it has contested two by-elections in Lahore and Peshawar.
The US State Department on April 2 banned the MML for “providing a political facade to Lashkar-e Taiba” (LeT) — a proscribed group on the US terror list.
“LeT members make up MML’s leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed’s likeness in its election banners and literature,” read a statement from the US State Department.
However, Khalid denies MML’s link with the LeT.
The US and India accuse the LeT of launching attacks on Mumbai in 2008, killing 166 people and injuring more than 300 people. The group’s founder, Hafiz Saeed, denies involvement in the incident but the US has announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Saeed.
In view of international pressure, the Ministry of Interior has advised the Election Commission to avoid MML’s registration.
Political analysts believe MML’s election campaign would do no good to Pakistan as it would result in bringing a bad name to the country.
“It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to take necessary measures to stop candidates affiliated with proscribed outfits from contesting elections,” Professor Tahir Malik, a political analyst, told Arab News.
“If the MML candidates contest elections, it means they are directly challenging all international principles and rules. The international community won’t accept it and this will also not augur well for Pakistan,” he said.