Decision to boycott moot in Dhaka taken by Speaker and Chairman Senate, says Aziz

KARACHI: The decision to boycott Inter-parliamentary session at Dhaka was taken by Speaker National Assembly with the consent of Chairman Senate, confirmed Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Speaking in the Geo News` show, Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Aziz said that despite continuous support given to Bangladeshi government by the state of Pakistan on various diplomatic forums, the former did not reciprocate the gesture.

“Not only had the government but the entire parliament taken initiatives,” he said. “In 2014, Pakistan supported Bangladeshi candidate Dr Sharmeen Chaudhry for Commonwealth Parliamentary Union Speaker` s election.

“She elected merely by 4 votes – of which 10 votes were of Pakistan.  But in contrast to it, despite invitations Bangladeshi speaker have not visited Pakistan. There have been at least three events, in which our speaker sent invitation and their delegation did not come.”

Aziz added that the action was not reflection of a hawkish foreign policy but a reaction to the anti-Pakistan tilt shown by Dhaka.

“It is not a hostile foreign policy from Pakistan but a reaction to their continued anti-Pakistan rhetoric being pursued for their domestic agenda. Foreign policies must not be hostage of domestic politics,” he added.