India to boycott Commonwealth Parliamentary Union in Pak if J-K speaker not invited: MEA

New Delhi, Aug. 7 : The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that India will boycott a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union meeting in Islamabad next month in protest against Pakistan for not inviting the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

“An emergency meeting of union chapter as well 31 India of CPA India region chapters was held in which they called the chairperson of the CPA executive committee to use her good officers to immediately resolve the matter and ensure issue of invitation to the Jammu and Kashmir CPA branch, failing which, the India chapters will boycott the event,” said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

“We have also demanded that Pakistan should forfeit its right to host the conference and the venue should be shifted to another country. It is well known that CPA is a membership organisation which has constitutionally been bound for over a century now to invite all its member branches to the CPA annual conference so long as the branch is in good financial standing with the association,” he added.

The Inter Parliamentary Union meeting to be held from September 30 to October 8 in Islamabad while invitations have been sent to all the other Speakers in India. (ANI)