The recently formed Mili Muslim League (MML) has said in a handout that they a political entity and not some “bus or truck” that requires registration, official paperwork in order to get permission to operate.
Responding to a letter sent to them by the Interior Ministry, the MML spokesperson Tabish Qayum described allegations made by the ministry against his party as “illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral.” The ministry in their letter had expressed concerns about the MML’s status and the participation of candidates backed by them in National elections. It had argued that the MML was nothing but a front for the banned Jammat
The ministry in their letter had expressed concerns about the MML’s status and the participation of candidates backed by them in National elections. It had argued that the MML was nothing but a front for the banned Jammat ud Dawwa (JUD) to operate freely in politics.
It is worth noting that the MML backed candidate Sheikh Yaqoob contested the NA-120 by-elections. And while the PML-N won the elections decisively, the MML’s ground support had been alarming, something made tangible in them being the third largest party in the election results ahead of the PPP.
The MML categorically rejected this in their statement, saying that they had no link to any of the organisations that the Interior Ministry was trying to associate with them and that the operations of the League were in accordance with the National Action Plan. It added that there was no proof against any of their leadership or even their members, and challenged the Ministry to bring forth any evidence if they could.
It is also worth noting that posters of the league during the recent by-election blatantly displayed Hafiz Saeed, leader of the JuD, as their “spiritual ameer.”
It argued that there was currently no legal requirement for political parties to register anywhere and that they could do as they wished in their own political set-up as long as there was no illegal activity.
While it is true that parties acting as private clubs need no permission to operate, they do need to register with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to be allotted a symbol and contest elections. For the NA-120 by-polls, the MML had only backed Sheikh Yaqoob and the candidate himself was a private one.
“In trying to save their own burning ship, the PML-N is using the Ministry of Interior to attack and malign patriotic and nationalist parties that could be a threat to them” the handout went on to accuse.
Official Press Release #MML – Subject – Political Party Registration@MMLOfficial1 pic.twitter.com/dhFW5uluq9
— TQ (@TabeshQ) September 26, 2017