Pakistan's absence at South Asian Speakers' Summit raises eyebrows

INDORE: The issue of Pakistan boycotting the invitation by Indian Parliament and the

Inter-Parliamentary Union

(IPU) marred the inaugural day of

South Asian Speakers' Summit

with IPU chairman Saber Chowdhury expressing disappointment over break in dialogue between the two countries.

"It's a matter of disappointment that we don't have representation from the Parliament of Pakistan. Off course it is not unusual for governments to have differences but here the IPU believe that political dialogue is absolutely critical. When the governments do not talk or when they stop talking, Parliamentarians should continue and engage in a dialogue," said Chowdhury while addressing the inaugural session of two day South Asian Speaker's Summit, in Indore on Saturday.

In the summit there was a clear view of the members countries that Paklistan's stand to decline the invitation was not a good gesture towards strengthening the group in the region.

“You can just roll up your sleeves and take your jacket and you talk. I think peoples' representatives are much more open in discussing issues,” said Chowdhury on sidelines of the summit.

The IPU chairman further stated that during such an occasion when all the countries are committed towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), pakistan should also join the group.

``I think this is a great beginning for so we hope that although Pakistan is not with us on this occasion, it will be joining this very important platform in the near future'', he said adding that IPU could provide a platform to the countries to discuss their issues but cannot suggest a solution.

``We tried to create a platform for dialogue and we encouraged the dialogue too but we are not too speculative in terms of what the dialogue should involve. It should be for the parties to interact," Chowdhury told TOI during the Summit

As Pakistan has not clarified the reason behind it's absence from the Summit, it was speculated that the decision was taken in view of the denial by India and other countries to boycott

Commonwealth Parliamentary Union

(CPU) meeting in Islamabad to protest against Pakistan’s decision to not invite the speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2015.

However, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had also refused to comment on Pakistan's decision but said that Pakistani representatives have been attending programmes aimed at regional cooperation in the past. This time we don't know why they were not attending the summit.

"It would have been good if Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan would have attended the Summit. We would have got to know about their parliamentary procedures," she had said.

During the discussion, IPU also raised the issue of sanctions against various countries. IPU president Chouwdhury said that IPU will have next assembly in Dhaka in April and will then meet in Saint Petersburg in Russia. But it is also unfortunate that countries impose sanctions against each other without initiating dialogue, he said.

"When we have discussions on having assembly in St Petersburg we will make it quite clear that the sanction regime should not apply to the Parliamentary assembly. Like we have had Russia lifting all sanctions for executives from Europe, I think this is a great beginning so we hope that although Pakistan is not with us on this occasion, they will be joining this very important platform in the near future."

He furhter said that even during sanctions, when governments stop talking, Parliamentarians should continue dialogue and at the parliamentary level IPU plays its important role.

"You may have differences then talk about your differences. Ukraine said they didn't want to go to Russia. But, Ukraine can go there and talk about their grievances against Russia. At least, the Parliamentarians should be able to talk. The Russian have agreed to lift sanctions against all the individuals in Europe because its a parliamentary assembly, this is what parliamentarians can do," said Chowdhury.

“Pakistan is not here; the reasons are best known to them. As a neighboring nation we would have felt better if they were here,” reacted Speaker of Afghanistan Assembly Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi.

“Pakistan and Myanmar which were among the countries in the South Asian nations invited to the Speakers’ Summit in Indore had declined the invitation,” official sources said.