The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday refused to recognise the outfit launched by the Jamaat-ud-Dawa – the Milli Muslim League – as a lawful political party and warned candidates to not use the front’s name in election campaigns, Dawn reported on Friday.
Returning Officer Mohammad Shahid issued a show cause notice to an independent candidate for using Jamaat chief Hafiz Saeed’s photo and the league’s insignia on his campaign posters in Lahore. The candidate, Sheikh Mohammad Yaqoob, has been warned against violating the code of conduct.
The JuD had launched the Milli Muslim League on August 7 in a bid to contest the general elections next year. However, its president, Saifullah Khalid, had claimed that the two groups were linked only ideologically. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa is believed to be a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terrorist group that was allegedly behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 160 people were killed. Hafiz Saeed is believed to have masterminded the strike.
Saeed been under house arrest since January. The United States had offered a reward of $10 million for information that could help lead to his arrest and conviction,
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