Foreign envoys to visit J-K this week

A group of diplomats from foreign missions will visit Kashmir on February 18 and Jammu on February 19.

Two batches of foreign diplomats had earlier visited Jammu and Kashmir in January and February last year after the abrogation of article 370 in August 2019.

This will be the first visit by foreign diplomats to Jammu and Kashmir since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The visit comes in the backdrop of DDC elections, which saw huge participation, and restoration of 4G mobile internet in entire Jammu and Kashmir after 18 months and many see it as a return of full normalcy in the union territory.

University and colleges are also reopened in the union territory. Visiting envoys are also expected to visit Budgam and are slated to meet representatives of civil society and government during their visit.

Home Minister Amit Shah had said on Saturday that Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at an appropriate time. He had said that around 25,000 government jobs will be created by 2022.

Sources told that some elements, who are working against Jammu and Kashmir's progress and restoration of normalcy, have been giving calls of a shutdown during the visit of envoys.

In January last year, envoys of 15 countries including the then US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and diplomats from Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Guyana, Argentina, Philippines, Norway, Maldives, Fiji, Togo, Bangladesh and Peru visited Jammu and Kashmir to see first-hand the efforts being made by the government in the region.

In February, 25 foreign diplomats, including those from Germany, Canada, France and Afghstan, visited Jammu and Kashmir to witness the ground situation in the region.

( With inputs from ANI )