15 Envoys in J&K to assess ground situation

The
government has said that the objective of taking envoys of 15 countries to
Kashmir was to help them see the efforts to bring back normalcy in the Valley
after abrogation of Article 370. It rejected criticism that the visit is like a
guided tour.

In J&K
for 2 days, the envoys are holding meetings with security officials & civil
society.

After the
abrogation of article 370 in J&K, situation continues to be getting normal.
Some countries expressed the desire to get a first hand look at the ground
situation in Kashmir. Following this, envoys from 15 nations — including the
US  are in Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day
visit.

The
Delhi-based envoys, who came on a special chartered flight landed at Srinagar’s
technical airport and were taken directly to the army cantonment for a
briefing.

Besides US,
the team comprises envoys from South Korea, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana,
Argentina, Norway, Philippines, Maldives, Togo, Fiji, Peru, Bangladesh and  Vietnam..

The first
meeting of the envoys was with security officials to get a sense of security
situation in J&K and also threat posed by terrorism in maintaining peace.

The group of
envoys was taken around Srinagar and met political leaders. The interaction was
an extensive one. They also met panchayat members and representatives of local
bodies and NGOs as well as civil society groups.

The visit is
part of govt’s efforts to nullify the propaganda and misinformation being
spread by Pakistan. The objective is to show the world the impact of govt’s efforts
to ensure normalcy.