NEW DELHI: Upping the ante against Pakistan’s unilateral move to not invite the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad in September, India has decided to boycott it if the neighbouring country does not change its decision.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday called an emergency meeting of speakers and chairmen of all legislative bodies in India to discuss the issue of participation after Pakistan’s denial of invite to J&K, even as all other State Assembly speakers were invited for the meeting scheduled to take place between September 30 and October 8.
“A meeting of speakers of all states here today unanimously decided that India will boycott the meeting of the CPU if the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is not invited,” said Mahajan.
The standoff comes in the wake of heightened tensions between the neighbours after terrorist attacks by Pakistani nationals resulted in a number of casualties on the Indian side.
The meeting that took place in Parliament passed a resolution condemning the “unilateral decision” of Pakistan for not inviting Jammu and Kashmir to the 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. The resolution said the neighbouring country has violated the provisions of the CPA Constitution by keeping one of the Indian states out. The resolution said the highest body of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association should take action against Pakistan and shift the venue to some other country as Islamabad has gone against the spirit of the parliamentary meeting.