Mumbai Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Son To Contest Pakistan Polls From Lahore

In a video message, PMML President Khalid Masood Sindhu said that his party is contesting on most of the national and provincial assembly seats

UN-designated terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind, Hafiz Saeed.

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The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party reportedly said to be supported by 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and terrorist Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, will be fighting the Feb 8, 2024 general elections in Pakistan, reported Dawn. Saeed has reportedly fielded candidates for each and every national and provincial assembly constituency. His son Talha Saeed will also contest the elections from National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore, whereas PMML’s central president Khalid Masood Sindhu will have direct faceoff against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the report added.

PMML's electoral symbol is 'chair', it further said.

In a video message, PMML President Khalid Masood Sindhu said that his party is contesting on most of the national and provincial assembly seats, reported PTI. "We want to come to power not for corruption but to serve the people and make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state," he stated.

As per PTI, when contacted, Sindhu denied his party's link with Saeed's outfit. "The PMML has no backing of Hafiz Saeed," he was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Hafiz Saeed is the founder of the UN-designated terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and has been in jail since 2019 after being found guilty in several terror financing cases. He has been sentenced to 31 years in jail. In 2012, the United States placed a $10 million bounty on Saeed, BBC said.

A PMML spokesperson told Dawn that they had pitched their candidates for all NA and provincial seats across the country. "We have left no seat uncontested," Tabish Qayyum was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Notably, in 2008, the PMML had taken part as Milli Muslim League -- the political face of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). However, Dawn stated, that it failed to show any promising results from any constituency. According to PTI, the PMML will be fighting polls in 2024 as it was formed because of a ban on the MML.

Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

According to Qayyum, party’s senior vice-president Faisal Nadeem is contesting from NA-235, Karachi, finance secretary AR Naqvi from PP-156, Hafiz Abdul Rauf for NA-119, Khalid Naik Gujjar for PP-162, Punjab general secretary Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi from NA-77, Gujranwala.