ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected an application of the Milli Muslim League (MML), seeking its registration as a political party, over alleged links with militant organisations. A four-member bench, headed by the chief election commissioner, said in a short order that until security clearance from the Ministry of Interior, the process of registration of the MML as political party could not be completed.
The MML had filed an application with the ECP for its recognition as a political party. The Ministry of Interior in a letter to the ECP had asked it to ban the party for having alleged links with militant outfits.
The chief election commissioner, who headed a bench of the ECP, observed that the ministry’s reservations were of serious nature, which needed to be addressed first before the party’s registration. The CEC pointed out that the ministry had reservations with regard to the party’s links with militant outfits, adding that the party should approach the ministry to get the same addressed.
Earlier, Advocate Raja Abdur Rehman, who represented the MML, in his arguments denied that the party had links with any proscribed outfit and said the party had fulfilled all legal requirements for registration. “Under which law should the party approach the Interior Ministry when all legal requirements laid down by the commission for registration of a political party have been fulfilled?” he argued. The party was suspected to be backed by Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed.
Published in Daily Times, October 12th 2017.
