26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s JuD to contest 2018 elections in Pakistan

Mangalore Today News Network

Lahore, Sep 18, 2017 : Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa will foray into Pakistan’s political scene by contesting the 2018 General Elections, according to a senior member of the outfit.

 

Last month, the JuD had announced that it was launching the Milli Muslim League.

The Pakistan recently elected its new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal.

Sheikh Yaqoob, a JuD-backed candidate who was defeated by ousted PM Nawaz Sharif’s wife Kuslsoom from a Parliamentary seat that fell vacant after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court, said the new front "will field candidates in every constituency of the country in next year’s election."

Yaqoob wanted to contest yesterday’s election from Milli Muslim League, launched just before the NA-120 by-poll, but could not do so as the Election Commission of Pakistan is yet to register it as a political party.

Yaqoob was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations, The New York Times reported.

"We have got a very good response in NA-120. It was our first election and people have welcomed us," said Yaqoob, who contested as an independent candidate, PTI reported.

"We are here to stay in the political field. People want a party that talks about making Pakistan strong against its enemies ? India, United States and Israel and at the same time help them in solving their basic livelihood problems," he said.

The JuD formed Milli Muslim League at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore.

Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under anti- terrorism act.

Jamaat-ud-Dawah is a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group.

Saeed is a wanted terrorist by India and the United States for his alleged role in masterminding the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives.

He even carries a bounty of 10 million USD (approx Rs 66 crore) on his head for his role in the attack.

Pakistan claims to have banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), but following the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2002, it re-emerged as JuD.


courtesy:Zeenews