Pakistan boycotts inter-parliamentary moot in Dhaka

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday announced that parliamentarians from Pakistan would not participate in the 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, which is due to begin from 1st of April in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A 10-member parliamentary delegation from Pakistan was due to participate in this international parliamentary moot under the leadership of Sadiq. "However, the unpleasant decision has been taken in view of the continued malicious and uncalled-for propaganda and unfriendly attitude of the Bangladesh government against the people and the state of Pakistan," the NA Secretariat said in a statement.

Sadiq said: “The members of the National Assembly and I have noted with dismay and disappointment the continuing actions and negative public statements of the leadership, public officials and media of Bangladesh despite Pakistan’s restraint and overtures to the country."

He said he has decided not to travel to Bangladesh at this point. The Speaker recalled that the Parliament of Pakistan had most sincerely laboured to harness good and friendly and brotherly relations with parliament and people of Bangladesh.

It was in this spirit that the Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation had unanimously voted in favour of the Speaker of Bangladesh Dr Sharmeen Chaudhary for the post of the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Cameroon in 2014. Dr Chaudhary had won this election with a narrow margin of 82 votes in favour and 78 against with 10 votes of Pakistan going in her favour.

However, he said it was noted with much regret that the friendly gestures were never reciprocated and the speaker of Bangladesh did not visit Pakistan despite repeated invitations. He said the parliament of Bangladesh also boycotted all international parliamentary moots organised by the Parliament of Pakistan during the last two years despite personal requests by the highest parliamentary leadership to the Speaker of Bangladesh. This includes the Saarc Young Parliamentarians Conference in August 2016, the International Women Parliamentarians Conference 2017 and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly in 2017.

The speaker recalled his meeting with the High Commissioner of Bangladesh earlier this month in which he had again conveyed his best wishes to his counterpart and had urged for working together to develop brotherly relations.

All such dedicated efforts, unfortunately, fell in vein and Pakistan was time and again targeted and maligned. Such a hostile environment would not promote the interest of any side. It was, therefore decided, with a heavy heart, not to undertake a visit to Bangladesh at this time. The speaker, nevertheless, conveyed his most sincere wishes to the people and the parliament of Bangladesh.