C'wealth fiasco: Britain, Bangladesh upset with Pakistan
Reports suggest that CPA officials from Britain had expressed disappointment
New Delhi: With Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announcing India’s decision to boycott a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad, the ministry of external affairs also slammed Pakistan, saying the Jammu and Kashmir Branch was invited by the Pakistan CPA Branch to the third Asia and India Regional CPA Conference in Islamabad in March 2007 and that three delegates from J&K had, in fact, participated in the conference.
India on Friday said it would boycott a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad from September 30 to October 8 in protest against Pakistan for not inviting the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly if Islamabad does not reverse its decision.
India is also expected to pressure the London-based Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Secretariat to change the meeting venue if it wants Indian participation in case Pakistan does not relent on its stand on not inviting Jammu and Kashmir Speaker.
The MEA said Pakistan’s decision now goes “against the Commonwealth’s guiding principles of promotion of international understanding, world peace and democratic governance”. There were media reports on Friday evening that suggested that Dr Shirin Chaudhury, Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament and chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee — whom India had requested to intervene to resolve the matter — had asked Pakistan to reconsider.
There were also TV reports that suggested that CPA officials from Britain had expressed disappointment with Pakistan’s decision. “It is wrong (on the part of Pakistan). They cited an old rule of 1951-57 regarding their having raised an issue in the UN Security Council for not inviting the J&K Speaker,” the Speaker said, adding it had lost relevance.
The Speaker said Pakistan gave this reply when India took up the matter strongly with the CPA chairperson and secretary-general. “We (31 Speakers) reviewed this issue and felt this was wrong. We reject this decision (of Pakistan). We are writing to the CPA chairperson that if the J&K Speaker is not invited, then India will not attend the meeting, or change the venue (for us to attend),” she said.