Pakistan's Election Commission has warned an “independent” candidate for using a photograph of Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in his poll campaign against ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's wife. The election will be held on 17 September.
Sheikh Muhammad Yakoob is contesting from a constituency in Lahore under the banner of Milli Muslim League (MML) – a political front of the Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD). The ECP also restrained Yaqoob from using the MML name.
The seat fell vacant after the Pakistan Supreme Court on 28 July disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case. The JuD recently launched the political party and fielded Yaqoob against Sharif's wife, Kulsoom Nawaz.
Kulsoom has undergone a successful throat surgery in London and in her absence, her daughter Maryam is running her campaign. The MML has applied for registration with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The ECP, on 7 September, issued a notice to Yaqoob barring him using Saeed's picture in his election campaign. In the notice, the ECP said:
Independent candidate Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob is warned against displaying banners bearing the photograph of proscribed organisation (JuD) leader (Saeed) for his by-election campaign in NA-120.”
The MML was formed on 7 August and will be headed by Saifullah Khalid, a close aide of Saeed and a key JuD member. The party claims its objective is to turn Pakistan into a "real Islamic and welfare state".
The formation of the party also comes at a time when the house arrest of Saeed, in detention since January, has been extended by another 60 days.
(With PTI inputs)
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