Pakistan's MML leader vows to defy US terror listing: ‘We are ready to face any charges’

KARACHI: The Milli Muslim League (MML), a party blacklisted by the US because of alleged terror links, has said it will field independent candidates in this year’s polls if it is refused recognition by Pakistan’s election commission.
“We have already won our case against the Election Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad High Court and will plead our case before the election body. But if we are denied our due right, we will field independent candidates like we did in the by-elections of Peshawar and Lahore,” Saifullah Khalid, president of the MML, told the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.
The MML was placed on the US list of global terrorist organizations because of its alleged links with the jihadi outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Khalid condemned the US decision. “It’s the nexus of government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with Washington,” he said.
The MML leader described the US blacklisting as “a tactic to bar us from forthcoming elections.” 
“It’s not true that we are associated with any (terrorist) group or have started working with a new name.”
The US ambassador for the region, Alice Wells, remained in Islamabad for a week before the US announced its decision, he said. 
“The planning was done in Islamabad and the civilian government is part of it because it’s afraid of the popularity of the MML,” Khalid told Arab News.
Khalid said the Pakistani government had no grounds to stop the party being registered. “The government of Pakistan has praised the US decision, which shows the nexus.”
Asked if its independent candidates are also barred from contesting elections, the MML leader said the party will “deliver a surprise” and “foil all efforts to keep it away from politics.”
Khalid claimed his party supports the notion of a peaceful Pakistan and condemns violence. “We believe in nonviolence and want to see Pakistan prosper. Since we defend the ideology of Pakistan, the US wants us to remain away from the electoral process,” he said.
“Not a single FIR (first information report with the police) has been registered against any leader of the MML,” Khalid said, adding that he was ready to face any charges in Pakistani and international courts. 
“If you have proof of our involvement in violence, then present it in the court. We will come and defend (ourselves),” the MML leader said.
“We don’t accept the American decisions. We will go to the courts. We will get ourselves registered,” he said.
When asked if MML was considering joining the recently formed religious alliance the Muttahida Majlis Amal, Khalid said that the parties in the union “were not welcoming.”
“We can ponder any alliance after getting registered as a party with the election commission,” he said.