Hafiz Saeed opens office for his political party in Lahore, snubs Pakistan government

Milli Muslim League (MML) has been touted as the political face of the terror outfit JuD

LAHORE: Ignoring all warnings from the Pakistan government, Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has opened the first political office of  Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore district.

Saeed, the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was freed by a Pakistan court after being under house arrest for 297 days. His release was met with global outcry, with the United States asking the Pakistan government to immediately re-arrest and prosecute him.

Milli Muslim League (MML) has been touted as the political face of terror outfit JuD. The country's Interior Ministry has called it an offshoot of the banned LeT. 

Saeed inaugurated the MML office on Mohni Road and listened to civic problems of the area, a report in Pakistani daily Dawn stated.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has opposed the registration of MML as a political party with the Election Commission by terming it as an "offshoot of proscribed entities". The Ministry`s opposition came after a security agency`s report expressing apprehension that the registration of MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

Saeed, who has a USD 10 million bounty on his head for terror activities, has requested the United Nations to strike off his name from the list of global designated terrorists.

Interestingly, the MML office was inaugurated from the National Assembly constituency NA-120 of Lahore district – a seat traditionally contested by the Sharifs, who never lost since their debut in politics in 1985 here. 

The MML is yet to be registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The party has already fielded Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh to fight the election under its banner. Sheikh filed his nomination papers with the ECP as an independent candidate.

Expressing support for Saeed, former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said that he would welcome an alliance with global terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed for the general election in 2018.