The notorious mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Hafiz Saeed, has launched a political entity called Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) and has announced its participation in the upcoming general elections in Pakistan. PMML is fielding candidates for almost every national and provincial assembly constituency across the country. The elections are set to be held on February 8, 2024. Despite being incarcerated since July 2019 on charges unrelated to the 26/11 attacks, Saeed's influence persists, evident in PMML's active participation in the electoral process.

The party has even named its electoral symbol as a chair. Some notable candidates include Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, who is contesting from Lahore's constituency NA-127, and PMML's central president, Khalid Masood Sindhu, who is challenging former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in NA-130. The party emerged after the government banned its predecessor, Milli Muslim League (MML), from participating in the 2018 general elections. PMML's stated goal is to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state. The US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on Saeed, who is a UN-designated terrorist.

Despite Saeed's incarceration and international condemnation, PMML has managed to field over 600 candidates for the upcoming elections. This includes senior figures in the party, such as Faisal Nadeem, AR Naqvi, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, Khalid Naik Gujjar, and Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi, who are contesting from various constituencies. Though PMML's spokesperson, Tabish Qayyum, stated that the party had fielded candidates for all National Assembly and provincial seats nationwide, he also expressed openness to seat adjustments if necessary.

This comes as the nomination deadline ended, with notable names such as Atta Tarar, Ijaz Buttar, Asif Hashmi, Hamza Shehbaz, Muhammad Madni, Maryam Nawaz, Aleem Khan, Hafiz Rauf, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Imran Khan, Sardar Latif Khosa, Azhar Siddique, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Salman Rafiq, and Liaqat Baloch all filing papers for Lahore's 14 National Assembly and 30 provincial constituencies. It remains to be seen how PMML's participation in the upcoming elections will impact the political landscape of Pakistan, especially given the controversial and contentious background of its founder, Hafiz Saeed.