JuD launches political campaign in Islamabad, seeks donation

The banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which is headed by Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, has launched an indirect political campaign for elections scheduled to take place on July 25.

In Islamabad, a senior JuD functionary, Abdul Rahman Makki, criticized Pakistani rulers and made an appeal to public to support and work for candidates of Milli Muslim League (MML) during upcoming elections.

The JuD, a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit which carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack which claimed 166 lives, launched its political front Milli Muslim League (MML) last year.

Makki also vowed that Islamic forces would make efforts to snatch back powers and free the country from infidels.

He said, "For the past 70 years, the Pakistani rulers are following the policies of 'Satan' and all institutions of the country are in crumbling state. The Jews and Christians are damaging the economy of Pakistan and the recent depreciation of currency is also an outcome of that policy."

The JuD also placed posters outside its headquarters and sought donations from the people.

Hafiz Saeed's son and his son-in-law are among 265 candidates fielded by the Jamaat-ud-Sawah for national and provincial assembly seats across Pakistan on the July 25 general election, with the banned group's political wing vowing to make the country a 'citadel of Islam'.

The group decided to contest on the platform of a little known "dormant" political entity, Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.