Shift Commonwealth meet from Pakistan, India urges
Maintaining its strong stand, India has asked the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to shift the venue of the annual conference this year from Islamabad, saying Pakistan has “forfeited” its right
Maintaining its strong stand, India has asked the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to shift the venue of the annual conference this year from Islamabad, saying Pakistan has “forfeited” its right to host the meet by not inviting the Jammu & Kashmir branch which was in violation of the group’s constitution.
In a letter to the CPA chairperson, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also called for immediate resolution of the matter and ensure invitation to the J&K Speaker, saying otherwise India will boycott the annual conference in Islamabad that starts at the end of September.
According to news agency reports, while referring to a meeting of the Speakers of all states on Friday, she said it was resolved to call upon the chairperson and CPA executive committee “to use her good offices to immediately resolve the matter” arising out of the “unilateral” decision of Pakistan failing which the CPA India region, including the Union and State branches, will boycott the event. The letter said the J&K branch of the CPA was in good financial standing with the CPA and fulfils all conditions of its membership.
Conveying the outcome of the meeting which was held last week, the Lok Sabha Speaker said the members felt Pakistan has “forfeited” its right to host the 61st conference for not inviting Jammu and Kashmir CPA branch in violation of Article 8 of the CPA constitution.
“I trust that as chairperson of the executive committee, you would pursue the matter and ensure that the century-old traditions of the Commonwealth are upheld,” Ms Mahajan was quoted by news agencies as writing in the letter written on Saturday.
“The host Pakistan CPA branch has taken the unilateral decision not to extend invitation to Jammu and Kashmir CPA branch. ... This is not only in violation of the provisions of CPA constitution, it is also against the principle that the CPA is a membership organisation which has constitutionally been bound for over a century to invite all its member branches to the CPA annual conference,” she wrote.