Look who just cast his vote in Pakistan's general election

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NEW DELHI: A terrorist who has a $10 million US bounty for his capture walked calmly - and freely - toward a polling booth in Lahore on Wednesday and cast his vote in Pakistan's general election.

That terrorist was none other than 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed - the chief of terror outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed - who roams freely in Pakistan fomenting hate and inciting terror.

Not only did Saeed vote, almost 200 candidates backed by him are even contesting the elections. Saeed tried to create a political party called the Milli Muslim League (MML). After widespread condemnation by the US, the Pakistan election commission early in June rejected (for the second time) an application to register MML as a political party.

No sweat. The 200 candidates backed by the MML are contesting the election under the banner of the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which is already registered with Pakistan's election commission reported The Express Tribune last month.

MML was formed in August last year. The group, however, denies any link to LeT or any other banned outfit even though Saeed was already campaigning for the MML since last month.


In April, the US designated the MML as a foreign terrorist organisation, saying the banned LeT members make up MML's leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed's likeness in its election banners and literature.


The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is believed to be the front or organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.


The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

(With inputs from PTI)

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