LAHORE: Jamaat-ud-Dawa is backing a new political party which will contest next year´s general election, an official said Tuesday.
The official -- a senior leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which is listed by the United Nations as a terror outfit -- said the newly formed Milli Muslim League Party had the "full" backing of the charity´s chief Hafiz Saeed.
"The party will have full support and backing of Hafiz Saeed. However, this party will maintain an independent posture while contesting the next parliamentary election slated for 2018," the senior leader told AFP on condition of anonymity.
JuD is considered by the US and India to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group blamed for the attack on India´s financial capital that killed more than 160 people.
Earlier this year Hafiz Saeed, who has a $10 million bounty on his head, was placed under "preventative detention" by authorities.
Before entering house arrest, Hafiz Saeed led a high-profile public life and regularly delivered anti-India speeches. JuD is popular for its charity work, especially in the wake of natural disasters.
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