ISLAMABAD: The United States has placed a Pakistani political group calledthe Milli Muslim League (MML) on its list of foreign terroristorganisations, saying it was merely an alias for a militant group blamedfor a bloody 2008 attack in India.

The Milli Muslim League is controlled by Hafiz Saeed. The group shot toprominence after fielding a candidate in a September 2017 by-election tofill a seat vacated by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Saeed is the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is also on the U.S.terrorist list and blamed by the United States and India for Mumbai attacksin 2008.

Saeed has repeatedly denied involvement in the attack.

The U.S. State Department said the Milli Muslim League alias had been addedto the LeT’s designations as a terrorist group.

“These designations seek to deny LeT the resources it needs to plan andcarry out further terrorist attacks,” the State Department said in astatement.

“Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violentterrorist group. The United States supports all efforts to ensure that LeTdoes not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool ofinfluence,” it added.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond torequest for comment.

Saeed was placed under house arrest in January 2017 but a court ordered hisrelease in November 2017.

He was not available for comment on Tuesday.

India welcomed the U.S. decision.

Pakistan had placed the LeT on a list of banned organizations in 2002. -Agencies