General Elections in Pakistan: 26/11 Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed Backs Political Party to Contest All Seats
The PMML had contested the 2018 general elections as the Milli Muslim League, the political face of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, but failed to show promising results in any constituency. The PMML came into being after the Milli League was banned by the government.
Islamabad: 26/11 Mumbai bombing mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, backed by the Pakistani Markazi Muslim League (PMML), has decided to field candidates for every National Assembly constituency across Pakistan. Moreover, it has also decided to file nominations for each provincial assembly constituency, according to a report by news agency ANI.
Hafiz Saeed’s son Talha Saeed is contesting from Lahore
Hafiz Saeed’s son Talha Saeed will also contest the elections from National Assembly constituency NA-127, Lahore, while PMML’s central president Khalid Masood Sindhu is contesting from NA-130, against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz. Sharif.
Muhammad Hafiz Saeed, who has been in prison since July 17, 2019 on other charges, was sentenced to 33 years in prison in April 2022 by a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan, for “financing terrorism.”
Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU in the 2000s, Saeed was not charged or extradited for nearly two decades, the Taipei-based analyst noted.
In a notice dated April 8, the MHA said Hafiz Talha Saeed was a senior leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and head of the terrorist organization’s spiritual wing. Talha Saeed has been “actively involved in recruitment, fundraising, planning and execution of attacks by LeT in India and Indian interests in Afghanistan. The electoral symbol for the PMML is the chairman.
It reported, quoting PMML spokesperson Tabish Qayyum, that they had pitched their candidates for all National Assembly and provincial council seats across the country: “We have not left any seat uncontested.”
However, he said his party will be ready to make seat adjustments if contacted, Dawn reported.
The PMML had contested the 2018 general elections as the Milli Muslim League, the political face of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, but failed to show promising results in any constituency.
The PMML came into being after the Milli League was banned by the government.
Qayyum said the party’s senior vice president Faisal Nadeem is contesting for NA-235, Karachi, Finance Minister AR Naqvi from PP-156, Hafiz Abdul Rauf for NA-119, Khalid Naik Gujjar for PP-162, general Secretary of Punjab Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi of NA-77, Gujranwala. Meanwhile, after the extended deadline for filing nomination papers for national and provincial constituencies expired on Sunday evening, the 2024 general elections entered the next phase, according to Dawn.
Final lists of eligible candidates who will soon participate in the elections
As the final lists of eligible candidates contesting the elections will be made public by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the coming days once the vetting process is completed, stiff competition is expected in several constituencies. Many candidates or their representatives went to the offices of their respective officials in Punjab to file nomination papers.
Citing reports, Dawn said that as many as 600 candidates had filed nomination papers for the 14 National Assembly of Lahore and 30 provincial constituencies. Those who filed papers included Atta Tarar (PML-N), Ijaz Buttar (PTI) and Asif Hashmi (PPP) in NA-117; Hamza Shehbaz (PML-N) and Muhammad Madni (PTI) in NA-118; Maryam Nawaz (PML-N), Aleem Khan (IPP) and Hafiz Rauf in NA-119; Maryam Nawaz, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Atta Tarar in NA 120 and Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Ayaz Sadiq and Ch Javaid in NA 121.
According to Dawn, Imran Khan, Sardar Latif Khosa, Azhar Siddique, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Salman Rafiq and Hafiz Talha have filed nomination papers in NA-122, while Shehbaz Sharif and Liaqat Baloch have filed nomination papers in NA-123.
(With input from agencies)