Visit by foreign diplomats in Kashmir should take place 'without restrictions', says Pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday said that any visit by foreign diplomats to the Kashmir valley should take place 'without any restriction by the Indian Government' and that the envoys should be allowed to freely meet the Hurriyat leadership and the Kashmiri people.

"We hope that the visit would take place without any restriction by the Indian Government so that envoys would have access to all areas," news agency PTI quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui. The statement added, "They may also be allowed to freely interact with Hurriyat leadership and Kashmiri people in an atmosphere free from intimidation and coercion."

India, however, has already rejected allegations that claimed that the visit by the foreign envoys was a "guided tour".

Fifteen foreign envoys traveled to Srinagar on Thursday to assess the ground situation in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to the region, last August.

This was the first visit of diplomats organised by the government since the revocation of the special status of the erstwhile state. Earlier, a group of European Parliament MPs traveled to the region to asses the situation on the ground. 

During Thursday's visit, the diplomats interacted with panchayat members and representatives of local bodies and NGOs. The delegation was also briefed by Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon on the security situation. 

The envoys were told by the locals that people totally reject Pakistan’s disinformation about a "bloodbath" in Kashmir and also lauded the government for handling the aftermath of August 5 decision without bloodshed, sources told Zee Media. 

While the representatives acknowledged that there were some difficulties faced by the locals, they said it was necessary to maintain order in the region.

During discussions with envoys, they also spoke of Pakistan’s desperation and untiring efforts to spread terror in the Valley and blamed Pakistan for killings in Jammu and Kashmir. They asked envoys to put pressure on Pakistan not to interfere, people aware of the discussions that took place during the meeting said. 

The representatives also told envoys that the people of Kashmir will not give an inch to Pakistan.