Pak govt urges Court to deny clearance to Hafiz Saeed's political party

Nearly four weeks after Hafiz Saeed was set free from house arrest, the Pakistan government has urged the Islamabad High Court not to allow the registration of his political party, the Milli Muslim League (MML), terming it an offshoot of proscribed entities, the Lashkar-Tayyaba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) that face international sanctions.

Saeed is accused by India and the United States of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The U.S. had put a bounty on his head. The United Nations has also declared Saeed a terrorist.

He was put under house arrest in January last but was released earlier this month after the Punjab government failed to charged him.

India had condemned his release, while the U.S. warned Pakistan not to mainstream Saaed.

A report in Dawn newspaper said the Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for giving the clearance, formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report, which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics."

A written reply has also been submitted to the High Court on a petition filed by the MML seeking its registration. The Ministry of Interior has urged the court to reject the MML's plea.

Poll panel's refusal

The Election Commission has already refused the registration of the MML and the outfit had challenged the poll panel's order of October 11, saying its registration as a political party was declined due to the interference of the Interior Ministry. The MML has alleged that the decision violated fundamental rights.

The Ministry of Interior quoted the security agency report, which said that it was difficult to believe that the MML would tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations. "Since the registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," the report said..

The Ministry also cited the stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against the MML's plea in view of international obligations.

The reply says that as the LeT, the JuD and the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing U.N. sanctions, the Interior Ministry believed that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of the JuD/FIF, was "not supported".