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Pakistan Markazi Muslim League

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Pakistan Markazi Muslim League
AbbreviationPMML
PresidentKhalid Masood Sindhu
SecretarySaifullah Khalid Kasuri
FounderHafiz Muhammad Saeed
Founded7 August 2017 (8 years ago) (2017-08-07) (as Milli Muslim League)
24 May 2022 (4 years ago) (2022-05-24) (as Pakistan Markazi Muslim League)
Student wingMuslim Students League
Youth wingMuslim Youth League
Women's wingMuslim Women's League
Ideology
Political positionFar-right
ReligionIslam
Party flag
Pakistan Markazi Muslim League Flag
Website
markazi.pk

The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML; lit. 'Pakistan Central Muslim League') is an Islamist[1] political party launched by the Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its leader Hafiz Saeed. The professed aim of the party is to make Pakistan "a real Islamic and welfare state".[2] It was founded as the Milli Muslim League (MML; lit. 'National Muslim League') in 2017.[3] The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did not recognise the party for the 2018 Pakistani general election, though most of its candidates later contested under the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek.[4][5][6][7][8] It re-established itself as the PMML and registered with the ECP prior to the 2024 Pakistani general election, contesting seats in all four provinces including Punjab and Sindh.[9][10][11] The United States Department of State regards it as a front for the militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). It has also stated that its secretary general Saifullah Khalid Kasuri has ties with the militant organization.[12]

History

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Milli Muslim League

[edit]
Milli Muslim League
AbbreviationMML
PresidentSaifullah Khalid Kasuri[2]
FounderHafiz Muhammad Saeed
Founded7 August 2017 (8 years ago) (2017-08-07)
NewspaperJarrar
IdeologyIslamism
Islamic fundamentalism
Pakistani nationalism
Conservatism
Kashmir unification with Pakistan
Political positionFar-right
ReligionIslam
Party flag
Milli Muslim League Flag
Website
millimuslimleague.org

Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) members announced on 7 August 2017 the creation of the political party. MML President, Saifullah Khalid Kasuri, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),[13] described the aim of the party saying, "We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is to made a real Islamic and welfare state." Tabish Qayyum, also under SDGT sanctions, acting as the party spokesman, stated they had filed registration papers for a new party with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).[14][15] Later in August, JuD under the banner of the MML fielded a candidate for the 2017 by-election of the NA-130 Lahore-XIV constituency. Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, sanctioned as an SDGT as well, filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate. Kasuri stated that they would support Sheikh and he was contesting the election as an independent as the MML was still in the process of getting registered.[16][17]

The ECP in September 2017 however refused to grant recognition to the MML and warned leaders against using the party's name during election campaigns.[4] Yaqoob Sheikh came fourth in the NA-120 by-election, securing 5,822 votes.[18] MML announced support for an independent candidate, Alhaj Liaqat Ali Khan, running for the NA-4 by-election, on 4 October.[19] Liaqat Ali Khan secured 3,557 votes in the election which was won by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.[20] The registration application of the party was meanwhile rejected by ECP on 12 October.[21]

Hafiz Saeed announced in December, a few days after his release from house arrest on 24 November, that his organization would contest the 2018 elections.[22] Since its registration was rejected, it fielded its candidates under another party, the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek.[23] However, the party failed to win any seats.[24]

Pakistan Markazi Muslim League

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It re-emerged as the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML; lit. 'Pakistan Central Muslim League') on 24 May 2022, to evade the ECP ban, and registered with the ECP for the 2024 Pakistani general election. Its assigned election symbol being a chair.[9][10][25][26]

Electoral history

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Its candidates first submitted nomination papers for the 2022 Islamabad local government elections but the elections were postponed. 271 candidates were given party tickets for the 2023 Punjab general elections but those elections were also not held.[27]

The PMML then nominated 507 candidates for the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies in the 2024 Pakistani general election and received a total of more than 525,000 votes. Specially Designated Global Terrorists (linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT) Talha Saeed (Hafiz Saeed's son and president of PMML), Hafiz Abdul Rauf, Faisal Nadeem and Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi contested from NA-127 Lahore-XI, NA-119 Lahore-III, NA-235 Karachi East-I and NA-77 Gujranwala-I respectively.[11][28][29][30][31] Other LeT-linked designated terrorists serving as PMML party officials include Muhammad Ehsan, general secretary, and Muhammad Fayyaz, finance secretary.[26][32][33] Its electoral campaign was targeted against the then ongoing Pakistani political crisis and Pakistani economic crisis. Large rallies were held in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and Lahore. PMML's Takbeer Conference at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on May 28 was the party's biggest and was attended by thousands of people.[34] It however failed to win from any of the seats in the 2024 elections.[35]

Structure and ideology

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This party has established an organizational structure down to the sub-level in all provinces of the country, it is headed by a central committee which oversees various province and district level committees and also has a central youth committee. During the membership drive in 2023, millions of people obtained membership forms of the organization. It has several sub-organizations/wings that operate in all sectors of Pakistani society. Muslim Women's League is its women's wing, Muslim Students League is its student wing, Muslim Youth League is its youth wing, Milli Labour Federation is its trade union, it also has a farmer's wing along with a teacher's and a farmer's department.[36]

It presents itself as an Islamist, conservative and welfarist party, running several public and food charity programs, with beliefs in Islamic democracy, pan-Islamism, Islamic nationalism and Pakistani nationalism.[37]

Lashkar-e-Taiba front

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On 2 April 2018, the U.S. Department of State designated the MML as well as the Tehreek-e-Azaadi Jammu and Kashmir as aliases of the designated terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. The department said that MML was a political front for LeT.[12] Both aliases were included in the Foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) list under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.[38] Facebook removed accounts and pages of the party on 15 July.[39]

Kasuri, the secretary general of PMML, publicly denied involvement in the 2025 Pahalgam attack after reports emerged in Indian media of him being behind the planning of the attack.[40][41]

Razaullah Nizamani, aka Abu Saifullah Khalid and also known by the aliases Mohammed Salim and Vinode Kumar, who masterminded the 2005 Indian Institute of Science shooting and had led LeT’s operations from Nepal since 2000, was killed by three gunmen in Badin, Sindh on 18 May 2025.[42][43][44] He later shifted to Pakistan, where he became a senior PMML leader and maintained coordination with other senior PMML (and LeT and JuD) leaders, including Yusuf Muzammil, Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi, and Muhammad Yusuf Taibi.[42] In the years prior to his death, he was reportedly tasked with recruiting operatives and raising funds for LeT in Sindh’s Badin and Hyderabad districts.[45]

References

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  1. ↑ "Pakistan: Political parties and affiliation" (PDF). Home Office. February 2026. 'Pakistan's political landscape includes a significant number of religiopolitical parties. Out of the 167 parties registered with the Election Commission, roughly 25 have Islamist or sectarian names, reflecting their religious affiliations. 'Notable among them are the JUI-F [Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl], the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the Majlis-iWahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), the Pakistan Rah-i-Haq Party, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, and the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-Nazriati, all of which actively participated in the February 8 [2024] polls.'110
  2. 1 2 "Jamaatud Dawa enters political arena, launches Milli Muslim League party". Dawn. AP. 8 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Siddiqa, Ayesha (15 September 2017). "The JuD & LeT guide on how to win friends and influence people". The Friday Times. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Pakistan Election Panel Refuses to Recognise Hafiz Saeed's Political Front". News18. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "MML petitions to be registered as political party". Dawn.
  6. ↑ "Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek springs surprise, fields 14 women in elections". The Express Tribune.
  7. ↑ "Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek fields 260 candidates to contest polls". Daily Pakistan. 3 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Milli Muslim League announces to contest election from Allahu Akbar Tehreek's platform". Dawn.
  9. 1 2 "کیا الیکشن 2024 میں حصہ لینے والی مرکزی مسلم لیگ حافظ سعید کی جماعت الدعوۃ کا 'نیا چہرہ' ہے؟" [Is the Central Muslim League contesting the 2024 elections the 'new face' of Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa?]. BBC News Urdu (in Urdu). 3 February 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, Pakistan and the Latest Reincarnation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, The Diplomat, 31 May 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Party backed by Hafiz Saeed to contest all seats". Dawn. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  12. 1 2 "US designates Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as terrorist outfit". The Economic Times. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sanctions List Search". Office of Foreign Assets Control. United States Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Tabish Qayyuum". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Shahzad, Asif (7 August 2017). "Charity run by Hafiz Saeed launches political party in Pakistan". Reuters. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  16. ↑ "Sanctions List Search". Office of Foreign Assets Control. United States Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "NA-120 by-polls: JUD fields candidate". The Nation. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  18. ↑ "ECP dismisses MML's plea to register as political party". Geo News.
  19. ↑ "NA-4 by-poll: MML sets up office in Peshawar, backs independent candidate". The Express Tribune. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Ahmad, Jibran (24 October 2017). "Imran Khan's PTI retains seat in by-election, but new religious parties gain". Reuters. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "Milli Muslim League registration rejected by ECP". Al Jazeera. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "Hafiz Saeed-backed MML to contest polls". The Hindu. PTI. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "Terrorist Hafiz Saeed's New Outfit Plans To Contest Pak Elections In July". NDTV.
  24. ↑ "Extremist, Banned Groups Draw Blank in Pak Polls: Official Results". News18. PTI. 28 July 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "List of enlisted political parties with ECP" (PDF). Election Commission of Pakistan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Gazette" (PDF). Printing Corporation of Pakistan. Election Commission of Pakistan.
  27. ↑ "پاکستان مرکزی مسلم لیگ کے صدر خالد مسعود سندھو نے کہا ہے کہ ملک کو بحران سے نکالنے کے لیے اتحاد کی ضرورت ہے۔ مرکزی مسلم لیگ اتحاد کا پیغام لے کر تمام سیاسی و مذہبی جماعتوں کے پاس جائے گی" [Pakistan Markazi Muslim League President Khalid Masood Sandhu has said that unity is needed to get the country out of the crisis, the Markazi Muslim League will go to all political and religious parties with the message of unity]. Jeevey Pakistan (in Urdu). 6 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  28. ↑ "Sanctions List Search". Office of Foreign Assets Control. United States Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  29. ↑ "Sanctions List Search". Office of Foreign Assets Control. United States Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "Faisal Nadeem". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  31. ↑ "Muzammil Iqbal Hashimi". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Muhammad Ehsan". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  33. ↑ "Fayyaz Ahmad". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  34. ↑ "تکبیر کانفرنس! مینار پاکستان اور نئی سیاسی جماعت کا اعلامیہ" [Takbeer Conference! Announcement at Minar-e-Pakistan of New Political Party]. Jehan Pakistan (in Urdu). 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  35. ↑ "Why Pakistan's Election Results Are Making Some US Lawmakers Wary". StratNews Global. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "About Us". Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (in Urdu). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  37. ↑ Suhrawardy, Muzammil (9 May 2023). "پاکستان مرکزی مسلم لیگ کا منشور" [Manifesto of Pakistan Central Muslim League]. Express News. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "US designates Hafiz Saeed's MML as LeT affiliate in FTO list - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  39. ↑ "Facebook disables accounts of Hafiz Saeed's political party ahead of Pak polls: Report". The Times of India. PTI. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via The Times of India.
  40. ↑ "Govt urged to counter India's propaganda against political party official". The News International. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  41. ↑ Siddique, Muhammad Asim (23 May 2025). "Saifullah Kasuri's close aide makes shocking revelations over Pahalgam attack allegations". SAMAA TV. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  42. 1 2 "رضا اللہ نظامانی: سندھ میں پاکستان مرکزی مسلم لیگ کے عہدیدار کا قتل، انڈین خفیہ ایجنسی را پر الزام" [Rezaullah Nizamani: Murder of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League official in Sindh, blame on Indian intelligence agency RAW]. BBC News Urdu (in Urdu). 20 May 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  43. ↑ "Lashkar man behind attacks on RSS HQ, IISc gunned down in Pakistan". The Indian Express. 19 May 2025.
  44. ↑ "Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Razaullah Nizamani killed by unidentified gunmen in Sindh". The Hindu. PTI. 18 May 2025. ISSN 0971-751X.
  45. ↑ "Who was Saifullah Khalid, LeT's elusive shadow commander killed in Pak". India Today. 19 May 2025.
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