ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday dismissed anapplication seeking registration of Milli Muslim League (MML).
A four-member commission chaired by Abdul Ghaffar based the decision on areport by the interior ministry stating that the aspiring party followedthe ideology of Hafiz Saeed, leader of banned outfit Jamaatud Dawah. TheMinistry of Interior relied upon details provided by the intelligenceagencies.
During the hearing, counsel representing MML said the federal governmentcould not oppose registration of any political party. “No one can predictif a political party can affiliate with banned outfits in the future,” hesaid. “MML leader Saifullah Khalid has no link with Saeed.”
In a previous hearing, the commission summoned a detailed report from theinterior ministry. The enlistment of MML, deemed to be a political offshootof Jamatud Dawa (JuD), has been pending since last year as the interiorministry awaited appraisal from intelligence agencies about the group.
Government through a Presidential Ordinance has declared that anyindividual or organisation which has been declared proscribed by the UnitedNations (UN) would be deemed as a banned outfit in the country.