LAHORE: The Milli Muslim League (MML) will field its candidates for all National and provincial assembly seats in the forthcoming general elections.

This was announced by MML President Saifullah Khalid at a ceremony organised here on Sunday by the party that is yet to be registered as a political outfit.

He said that the nascent outfit would also announce its election manifesto at the first foundation day meeting to be held at Minar-i-Pakistan lawns on March 23.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had refused to register the MML on the Interior Ministry’s advice as the entity’s patrons, including Hafiz Saeed, had been put on the UN watch list, while his group Jamaatud Dawa and charity wing Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation had also been proscribed through a presidential ordinance.

On a petition, the Islamabad High Court had on Saturday directed the ECP to register the MML.

Referring to the court verdict, Mr Khalid termed it a victory of the “Pakistan ideology”, claiming that the court had ordered that the MML be given a chance to play its role in national politics.

He said those candidates would be selected to contest the polls, who could afford electioneering expenses, enjoyed a personal vote bank in the constituencies they will be pitted from and believed in supporting the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018