15 foreign diplomats to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, EU envoys in next batch

India is all set to take around fifteen foreign envoys for a guided tour of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. 

Confirming the development, a source told WION, "A group of around 15 Envoys based in Delhi are being taken to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir on 9-10 January to see first-hand the efforts being made by the Government to bring the situation to normal."

WION was the first to report this on Tuesday with the dates of the visit. The Ministry of External Affairs had been receiving requests from envoys for a visit to Kashmir and the government source said, "Our consistent position has been that we may consider the request only after analysing the security situation and checking the situation on the ground with the J&K Administration".

Envoys of Latin America, ASEAN and Africa will be part of the group, while envoys of the European Union are expected to go on a later date. 

On why they could not attend foreign envoy's Kashmir visit, one EU envoy told WION, "It was communicated with very short notice and the majority of us need to get the agreement of our authorities." 

"In any case, we are still discussing with MEA," the envoy added. 

Government sources said that EU envoys have welcomed the initiative by the government and select EU envoys were invited since the aim was to keep the group broad-based. 

Asked, if any envoys had asked to meet anyone detained, a government source said, "no specific request was made and the group was free to interact with people subject to security considerations."

Australia is not able to be part of foreign envoy's Kashmir visit since they are preparing for the Aussie Foreign Minister's India visit. Same stands true for another Asian country, whose delegation is in the town.

The visit by foreign envoys comes amid criticism over India keeping the region cut off. SMS services which were suspended on August 5 were restored across the valley on January 1. This is being seen as a welcome measure in restoring freedoms for the Kashmiris as normalcy returns gradually in the valley. 

Earlier on October 14, postpaid mobile services were also restored. 

Last October, India took the European Union Parliamentarians to the union territory of Kashmir. It was the first such visit by an international delegation post-abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The visit by the members of the European Parliament had come at a time when the Centre was making efforts to restore normalcy in the region.