The controversy over inviting Jammu and Kashmir Speaker to the proposed Commonwealth Speakers’ Meet in Pakistan has ended finally with Islamabad cancelling the meet altogether.
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The rationale given by Pakistan was that Jammu and Kashmir is a conflicted territory and as such, a state regime “imposed” by India can not be considered a legitimate federal government.
Earlier, India had threatened to boycott the conference if the Jammu and Kashmir assembly chairman was not invited.
Pakistan on Thursday postponed Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which was scheduled for September.
Pakistan “saw an opportunity to raise the Kashmir issue” by refusing to host the conference, Sadiq said.
Ironic but the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi will go ahead with its meeting with Hurriyat leaders on August. 23, the same day when NSA meeting is due. He said that Pakistan’s principled position on Jammu Kashmir would be compromised if the speaker of the Indian-held Jammu Kashmir was invited to the conference.
A year ago, India cancelled talks between the two nations’ foreign secretaries after a similar meeting with Kashmiri separatists.
India, the world’s largest democracy, had urged the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to shift the conference venue to another country if Pakistan remained inflexible.
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Ties warmed slightly last month, after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a summit in Russian Federation and agreed to resume high-level talks.
