Pakistan bars a militant-linked group from forming new political partyISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan s electoral commission on Wednesday barred from contesting elections a new political party that is backed by an Islamist with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, a government official said. Haroon Khan, a spokesman for the commission, said a four-man panel rejected the registration of Milli Muslim League (MML) as an official political party. Khan said Muhammad Raza Khan, chief of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), told MML s lawyer at the final hearing of the registration that the new party has links with militant groups and as such  We can t enlist you.  The ECP spokesman said the commission cited an interior ministry recommendation that the MML was  affiliated  with Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT), a militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, and that such groups could breed violence and extremism in politics.   The United States has designated LeT founder Hafiz Saeed a terrorist and offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his conviction.  Saeed, currently under house arrest, heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Islamict charity, which Washington says is a front for LeT. Pakistan s reluctance to press charges against him has been a sore point in relations with Washington and India over the past decade.  Saifullah Khalid, the head of MML, said his party would challenge the decision.  An attempt is being made to keep patriotic forces away from politics,  he said. The party is likely to continue operating unofficially, as it did last month when one of its leaders contested a by-election in the eastern city of Lahore as an independent candidate. The candidate, Yaqoob Sheikh, won several thousand votes, though officials from MML and JuD ran his campaign. Saeed s portraits adorned posters promoting Sheikh. The move to bar the party appears at odds with what political and former military sources told Reuters was a plan by the military s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency to integrate militant-linked organizations by bringing them into politics as part of a de-radicalization drive. Pakistani army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor also said last week the integration of militants into the country s politics would be based on seeking a constructive role for the militant-linked groups, although he did not comment on the military s role in any such strategy.   It is in my knowledge that the government has started some discussion over it, that is, how do we mainstream them,  Ghafoor said.  Neighbors India and Afghanistan accuse Pakistan s military of backing and using militant groups such as LeT as proxies, a charge the army denies. The MML is actively running a campaign for its candidate contesting another by-election on Oct 26., to be held in the northwestern city of Peshawar. worldnews
pakistan bars group forming new political partyislamabad reuters pakistan electoral commission wednesday barred contesting elections new political party backed islamic million bounty head government official said maroon khan spokesman commission said panel rejected registration mill muslim league mm official political party khan said muhammad gaza khan chief election commission pakistan ecp told mm lawyer final hearing registration new party links militant groups we enlist the ecp spokesman said commission cited interior ministry recommendation mm affiliated let militant group blamed mumbai attacks killed people groups could breed violence extremism politics the united states designated let founder hair seed terrorist offers million reward information leading conviction seed currently house arrest heads jud islamic charity washington says front let pakistan reluctance press charges sore point relations washington india past decade saifullah valid head mm said party would challenge decision an attempt made keep patriotic forces away politics said the party likely continue operating unofficially last month one leaders contested eastern city lahore independent candidate the candidate yahoo sheikh several thousand votes though officials mm jud ran campaign seed portraits adorned posters promoting sheikh the move bar party appears odds political former military sources told reuters plan military inter services intelligence isi spy agency integrate organizations bringing politics part drive pakistani army spokesman asia ghafoor also said last week integration militants country politics would based seeking constructive role groups although comment military role strategy it knowledge government started discussion mainstream ghafoor said neighbors india afghanistan accuse pakistan military backing using militant groups let proxies charge army denies the mm actively running campaign candidate contesting another oct held northwestern city peshawar worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Pakistan bars a militant-linked group from forming new political partyISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan s electoral commission on Wednesday barred from contesting elections a new political party that is backed by an Islamist with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, a government official said. Haroon Khan, a spokesman for the commission, said a four-man panel rejected the registration of Milli Muslim League (MML) as an official political party. Khan said Muhammad Raza Khan, chief of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), told MML s lawyer at the final hearing of the registration that the new party has links with militant groups and as such  We can t enlist you.  The ECP spokesman said the commission cited an interior ministry recommendation that the MML was  affiliated  with Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT), a militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, and that such groups could breed violence and extremism in politics.   The United States has designated LeT founder Hafiz Saeed a terrorist and offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his conviction.  Saeed, currently under house arrest, heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Islamict charity, which Washington says is a front for LeT. Pakistan s reluctance to press charges against him has been a sore point in relations with Washington and India over the past decade.  Saifullah Khalid, the head of MML, said his party would challenge the decision.  An attempt is being made to keep patriotic forces away from politics,  he said. The party is likely to continue operating unofficially, as it did last month when one of its leaders contested a by-election in the eastern city of Lahore as an independent candidate. The candidate, Yaqoob Sheikh, won several thousand votes, though officials from MML and JuD ran his campaign. Saeed s portraits adorned posters promoting Sheikh. The move to bar the party appears at odds with what political and former military sources told Reuters was a plan by the military s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency to integrate militant-linked organizations by bringing them into politics as part of a de-radicalization drive. Pakistani army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor also said last week the integration of militants into the country s politics would be based on seeking a constructive role for the militant-linked groups, although he did not comment on the military s role in any such strategy.   It is in my knowledge that the government has started some discussion over it, that is, how do we mainstream them,  Ghafoor said.  Neighbors India and Afghanistan accuse Pakistan s military of backing and using militant groups such as LeT as proxies, a charge the army denies. The MML is actively running a campaign for its candidate contesting another by-election on Oct 26., to be held in the northwestern city of Peshawar. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: pakistan bars group forming new political partyislamabad reuters pakistan electoral commission wednesday barred contesting elections new political party backed islamic million bounty head government official said maroon khan spokesman commission said panel rejected registration mill muslim league mm official political party khan said muhammad gaza khan chief election commission pakistan ecp told mm lawyer final hearing registration new party links militant groups we enlist the ecp spokesman said commission cited interior ministry recommendation mm affiliated let militant group blamed mumbai attacks killed people groups could breed violence extremism politics the united states designated let founder hair seed terrorist offers million reward information leading conviction seed currently house arrest heads jud islamic charity washington says front let pakistan reluctance press charges sore point relations washington india past decade saifullah valid head mm said party would challenge decision an attempt made keep patriotic forces away politics said the party likely continue operating unofficially last month one leaders contested eastern city lahore independent candidate the candidate yahoo sheikh several thousand votes though officials mm jud ran campaign seed portraits adorned posters promoting sheikh the move bar party appears odds political former military sources told reuters plan military inter services intelligence isi spy agency integrate organizations bringing politics part drive pakistani army spokesman asia ghafoor also said last week integration militants country politics would based seeking constructive role groups although comment military role strategy it knowledge government started discussion mainstream ghafoor said neighbors india afghanistan accuse pakistan military backing using militant groups let proxies charge army denies the mm actively running campaign candidate contesting another oct held northwestern city peshawar worldnews