The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday directed Milli Muslim League (MML) to submit a clearance certificate issued by Ministry of Interior for its registration as a political party.
A three-member bench of the Commission headed by Abdul Ghaffar Soomro was hearing the MML's appeal for its registration as a political party.
The Election Commission had earlier rejected the MML's application for registration as a political party after the Interior Ministry objected to its ties with banned outfits. The MML is believed to be a political front of Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
The Islamabad High Court, however, last month set aside the Election Commission's decision and ordered it to hear MML case for registration ahead of the general election.
During the hearing, the MML counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi informed the bench that there was no need to get a clearance certificate from the Interior Ministry for registration of a political party.
Citing Elections Act, 2017, Rizwan said that any citizen can get a political party registered with the Election Commission without getting any clearance certificate.
The Commission, however, directed the counsel to submit a clearance certificate issued by the ministry or an affidavit addressing the allegations against the MML.
The case has been adjourned until May 2 while the MML's counsel has also been asked to submit a written reply before the next hearing and bring the clearance certificate from the ministry or affidavit.