“Ultimately, the end receivers of hostilities between India and Pakistan remain the people of this state, he said adding that the problem here is to assuage the urges and aspirations of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh and this can be achieved only when autonomy is granted to the state“.
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The official said the move by Islamabad angered New Delhi and it has communicated to all States to withhold sending nominations for the conference.
The MEA said Pakistan’s decision now goes “against the Commonwealth’s guiding principles of promotion of global understanding, world peace and democratic governance”. “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.
Though Pakistan has chosen not to invite the Jammu and Kashmir speaker this time, in March 2007, during the 3rd Asia and India Regional CPA Conference which was held in Islamabad, the Jammu and Kashmir Branch was invited by the Pakistan CPA Branch and three delegates from the state had participated.
But Pakistan has excluded Jammu and Kashmir for the meet, reportedly raising what it called the state’s “disputed nature”. “We (31 Speakers) reviewed this issue and felt this was wrong. I would like to thank the speaker of the lower house and the legislative assembly members for taking a strong decision”, said Gupta.
Gupta also said that “Pakistan should be declared a terrorist country“.
While India sees the meeting as an opportunity for it to prove its long-held view that militants get support from over its western border, Pakistan wants the dialogue to be broader and form the basis for deeper engagement.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is being held in Islamabad from 30th September.
A press release by the Lok Sabha Secretariat also said Mahajan and the other presiding officers of Indian legislatures had sought Chaudhury’s intervention to ensure the Jammu and Kashmir speaker is invited, otherwise India will stay away.
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As many as 53 Commonwealth countries, including India and Pakistan, constitute the CPA.
