Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has confirmed that his organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission.
“The Milli Muslim League (MML) is planning to contest next year’s general elections,” said Saeed, who has been designated a ‘terrorist’ by both the United Nations and the United States.
The JuD chief walked free on November 24 after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under detention since January this year.
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The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sheikh Yaqub, MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a U.S. Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
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Saeed also said on Saturday that his detention in Pakistan and arrest of Hurriyat leaders in India was part of international agenda.
A step backward: U.S.
Meanwhile, a senior Trump administration official has said that the U.S. is not satisfied with Pakistan’s cooperation in the war against terror and is yet to see Islamabad taking steps to “rein in” the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
He also termed the release of Saeed as “a step backward” in that direction.