LAHORE – The United States has added the Milli Muslim League (MML), which is backed by the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), to its list of terrorist organisations, with expectations that more entities will soon be added soon to this index.
“While Pakistan is an important partner for achieving US priorities in the region, this administration has also set clear expectations for Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that operate from Pakistani soil,” the US state department official said on Friday.
The official did not identify the groups that the US wanted Pakistan to go after, but local media quoted diplomatic observers in Washington, who say that they see the move against the backdrop of a recent statement, in which the Trump administration criticised Islamabad for allowing JuD chief Hafiz Saeed to continue his political activities unchecked.
Washington had expressed similar concerns after the Lahore by-election this year, in which Saeed’s group backed the Milli Muslim League. Recent media reports suggest that Saeed may also participate in the 2018 general elections.
