Pakistan has decided to boycott the 136th Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly that begins on April 1 in Bangladesh's capital because of a prevailing "hostile environment," says National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
In a
statement on Thursday, he criticised the “continuing actions and negative public statements” by Bangladesh's leadership, public officials and media “despite Pakistan’s restraint and overtures to the country.”
“I have, therefore, decided not to travel to Bangladesh as a visit at this point will not serve the purpose,” he said.
Sadiq claimed that Pakistan's parliament had “most sincerely laboured to harness good friendly and brotherly relations” with the Bangladeshi people and its parliament.
He recalled Pakistan backing Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury for Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive Committee chairperson and Saber Hossain Chowdhury for IPU president in 2014.
“... The same level of cooperation was extended through the platforms of Parliamentary Union of Islamic Countries and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly,” Sadiq said.
Bangladesh “never reciprocated,” he claimed, recalling how Speaker Chaudhury did not visit Pakistan “despite repeated invitations” and Bangladesh Parliament boycotted all international parliamentary moots organised by Pakistan in the last two years.
“All such dedicated efforts, unfortunately, fell in vain 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,” he added.
Sadiq, however, did not mention that in November, Bangladesh and some other countries had boycotted the Saarc Summit to be held in Islamabad.
His statement comes a day after Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq said that the government decided to bring back and try the Pakistani Army personnel who had committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
Pakistan has never apologised for the war-time atrocities and rather denies the genocide they had committed. Its government also opposed the trial and execution of top war criminals linked to Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP.
The Pakistan parliament adopted resolutions and Islamabad issued statements condemning the execution of convicted collaborators despite Dhaka's warning to “stop meddling in internal affairs.”