Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 17: Foreign envoys who are on 2-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday met journalists here this evening.
The scribes, who represented various local media organizations, according to the sources, apprised them about the ground situation.
The envoys said that they have come to Jammu and Kashmir with a purpose and after collecting the feedback they will prepare a report about the situation. “We are here to see how J&K has changed after the scrapping of Article 370. It appears that things have changed and J&K is moving ahead,” they said.
They discussed freedom of the press in J&K with the scribes and the improvement in situation. “Decrease in number of stone-pelting incidents and changing security scenario. They discussed the youth laying down arms and returning to mainstream,” sources said.
The envoys also discussed the governance, the new industrial policy, the domicile law and the increase in number of tourists visiting Kashmir, sources said.
They said that envoys looked satisfied with their visit but remained tightlipped about many issues. “The envoys were more focused on the development scenario and wanted to know whether investors are coming forward or not.”
Sources said that the envoys didn’t talk much about the scrapping of Article 370 and were more interested in knowing about the changing political scenario and the recently held District Development Council (DDC) elections. “The envoys spoke about restoration of J&K’s statehood and the way forward,” sources said.
The envoys had come from Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, EU, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Bangladesh, Malawi, Eritrea, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Malaysia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
The visit is the third official one by foreign diplomats of to Jammu and Kashmir since the government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and divide the State into two Union Territories (Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh) on August 5, 2019. |
