*ISLAMABAD:* The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday nullified theobjections of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the MilliMuslim League (MML) and accepted its plea for registration as a politicalparty.

The MML had filed a writ petition in the IHC against ECP’s refusal toregister it as a political entity.

Justice Aamir Farooq on Thursday invalidated the ECP’s order of ban on theMML and instructed the commission to register the entity as a politicalparty.

MML President Saifullah Khalid, Central Secretary Information Tabish Qayyumand others were present in the court on the occasion. During the lasthearing, MML lawyers Raja Rizwan Abbasi and Sohail Warraich had presentedtheir arguments. The court, after hearing both the parties, had reservedthe verdict which was announced on Thursday.

Earlier, in response to interior ministry’s letter to the ECP on September26, 2017, that the MML should not be registered as a political party, thegroup’s lawyer had asserted that there was no FIR registered against any ofthe party member and, therefore, the objections of the interior ministrywere unjustified.

The IHC verdict has paved the way for the entity to participate in theupcoming general election. Last year, MML-backed Yaqoob Sheikh had baggedmore than 6,000 votes in NA-120 by-elections.