FAISALABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan is seeing an unprecedented number of extremists and militant sectarian groups — even an international terror figure with a $10 million U.S.-offered bounty on his head — on the campaign trail ahead of parliamentary elections later this month.

Analysts warn the phenomenon is a slippery slope to further radicalization of this conservative Muslim majority nation.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center, says the participation of the radical groups “in the election is highly significant, not because of their ability to sweep into power, which won’t happen, but because of how they can use the political process to legitimize themselves and their extremist ideologies.”

Take the small political party known as the Milli Muslim League, or MML.

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