ECP turns down Milli Muslim League's registration application

Interior ministry had maintained that allowing such parties to flourish will fuel extremism in domestic politics

ISLAMABAD: In a significant move, the Election Commission on Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected application to enlist as a political party the Milli Muslim League (MML) – a purported offshoot of Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) which is under watch list for proscribed organisations.

A four-member bench of the ECP took decision on the basis of feedback received from Ministry of Interior. After announcing to form a political party, some people – allegedly affiliated with JuD – had filed an application with the ECP to get the new party registered as the MML.

The ECP had sought feedback about the office-bearers of the proposed party from the Interior Ministry which in a letter opined that allowing such parties to flourish will fuel violence and extremism in domestic politics.



The ministry told the ECP that it had decided not to support the MML’s registration on the basis of recommendations received from the Foreign Office and the intelligence agencies.

During the hearing, counsel for the proposed party, Raja Abdul Rehman, contended that the ministry had levelled unsubstantiated allegations without providing any tangible evidence.

He claimed that none of the office-bearers of the proposed party belonged to any proscribed group and that their party fulfilled all legal requirements to get registered as political party.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza said the ECP had to follow the information it received from the government. He said counsel might contest with the ministry for the contents of its feedback provided to the ECP.

The MML apparently raised red flags when it fielded a candidate in the last month’s by-elections at NA-120 seat in Lahore. Since the MML was not registered as a political party, the candidate backed by the group was allotted election symbol as an independent candidate.