US Declares Hafiz Saeed’s Milli Muslim League (MML) as terrorist organisation

With the Pakistan general elections are due, The US designate MML, the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organisation on Tuesday. The US also listed Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (TAJK) into existing terrorist groups. TAJK is said to be a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which according to the Trump administration, continues to operate freely inside Pakistan.

Nathan Sales, the coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department said, “Today’s amendments show that the US government is not fooled by Lashkar-e-Taiba’s efforts to circumvent sanctions and deceive the public about its true character.”

“Make No mistake: whatever the LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group. The US supports all efforts to ensure that the LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence,” Sales said.

theprint.in mentions, 'The move comes a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan asked the MML to produce a clearance certificate by the interior ministry for its registration as a political party.'

The election commission had earlier rejected the MML’s application for registration as a political party after the interior ministry objected to its ties to banned militant outfits.

The LeT was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group on December 26, 2001. Its leader, Saeed, is also designated as an SDGT.

To avoid sanctions, LeT has repeatedly changed its name over the years, the State Department alleged.

Earlier, Hafiz Saeed announced in December, a few days after release from house arrest on 24 November, that his organisation will contest the 2018 elections. The earlier clearance from Islamabad High Court (IHC) had relived his idea of laucnhing a political party 'MML' which is now facing big blow!

#JuD chief #HafizSaeed Challenges 'Ban JuD' Order In Islamabad High Court @MonaAlamm answer to Indian Anchor at @IndiaToday about #JuD, #MML & #FIF pic.twitter.com/DquI2kwELm

— Usman Sadiq (@UsmanPosts) March 10, 2018

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India welcomes the action taken by the US for designating the Milli Muslim League as an alias of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan based terrorist group and its functionaries who are acting on behalf of LeT.

MEA on the designation of Milli Muslim League (MML) and 7 of its functionaries as global terrorists by the US pic.twitter.com/kqyr7EM1Iv

— Times of India (@timesofindia) April 3, 2018

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