Pakistan politicians to be invited to Awami League National Council next month

Leaders from Pakistani political parties will be invited to attend the 20th National Council of the Awami League slated for the next month.

"Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Muslim League (Nawaz), and several other Pakistani party leaders will be invited." a central committee member of the Awami League told bdnews24.com on Monday on condition of anonymity.

Political leaders from 70 countries are expected to attend the council to be held on Oct 22-23.

The ruling party had originally decided not to invite any political parties from Pakistan mainly because of their support to convicted war criminals.

"Except Pakistan, political parties from all over the world will be invited," former foreign minister Dipu Moni, a member of the felicitation subcommittee of the event, told reporters last month.

However, the change of heart was made known last week in a statement released by General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.

"Not all the people of Pakistan had opposed the liberation. So we are mulling over inviting some progressive party leaders," Syed Ashraf had said.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries strained when Islamabad condemned the execution of 1971 war criminals who supported Pakistan during Bangladesh’s War of Independence.

The current Awami League government accorded receptions and awarded many foreign nationals who supported and contributed to the cause of freedom in 1971.

Some of those awardees were Pakistani nationals who had gone to jail and endured torture and harassment for supporting liberation.

The Awami League leaders who were contacted by bdnews24.com declined to comment on the issue on record.