Another banned group, ASWJ, aims at general election to gain political power

LAHORE: The returning officers will take decisions on the legality of the candidates of Ahle-Sunnat Wal-Jamaat (ASWJ) in the elections, Pakistan’s Ministry of Law and Justice has said.
ASWJ, a banned religious group, plans to field its candidates in all constituencies, said Qasim Farooqi, spokesperson of the party.
“We have a significant presence in every part of the country and our voters play an important role in the success or defeat of the candidates,” Farooqi told Arab News.
Mohsin Abbas Syed, senior consultant of the ministry law, told Arab News that the returning officer (RO) will take the decision for acceptance or rejection of a nomination paper and “if a member of proscribed organization submits his or her nomination papers for elections; and later evidence of his or her affiliation with such banned groups was provided to the RO, then the nomination can be challenged.”
The group initially worked with the name of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) to “protect the honor of Sahaba.” In February 2012 the government of Pakistan slapped a ban on it through a notification.
ASWJ chief Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi and a few others, however, have been contesting elections as independent candidate or with a coalition of other parties.
Farooqi said his party has two options: “either field candidates independently or make seat adjustment with other political parties.”
Qamar Cheema, a political analyst and an educationalist, said some of the ASWJ leadership have been contesting elections since they have been on the fourth schedule. “A couple of years ago they got their representative elected in Punjab Assembly from Jhang, which is a remote town in Punjab and a stronghold of ASWJ.”
The fourth schedule is the Pakistan government’s list of individuals who are considered as a possible threat.
The election rules of Pakistan do not bar any person from contesting the election as an independent candidate. Nominees of registered parties, however, can use the specific symbols.
“Declaring a party legitimate or proscribed is the job of the interior ministry. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) only looks into the matters of parties registered with it,” Haroon Khan, spokesperson of the Election Commission, told Arab News. “If someone takes part as an independent candidate, the returning officer and the appellant tribunal consisting of a high court judge are the authority to decide his or her legitimacy.”
Recently, Hafiz Saeed’s backed party, the Milli Muslim League, took part in the elections with independent candidates as the party was not registered with the election commission of Pakistan.
Last week, on March 9, a court in Pakistan overruled the ECP’s decision to ban the Milli Muslim League from registering as a political party.
“Banned groups in Pakistan are getting mainstreamed as they believe that is the only way to get rid of their damaged past,” Cheema said.

Another banned group, ASWJ, aims at general election to gain political power