India to boycott Commonwealth meet after Pakistan ignores J&K Speaker

August 08, 2015 09:36

India has decided to boycott the Commonwealth Speakers' conference to be held in Islamabad later this month in protest against Pakistan's decision not to invite the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, calling it a disputed territory.

"Today we held a meeting of the speakers from nearly 31 states and we have decided to write that if Jammu and Kashmir is not invited, we will not attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meet in Pakistan," Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan told reporters in New Delhi.

As many as 53 Commonwealth countries, including India and Pakistan, constitute the CPA.

The members the London-based group, consisting of the heads of Parliaments of constituent countries and constitutional heads of their respective State legislatures (state branches), meet annually.

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