Srinagar, Feb 10:A group of 25 European Parliamentarians (MEPs) are visiting Jammu and Kashmir later this week ahead of vote on the resolution on Jammu and Kashmir that was discussed in EU Parliament last month.
The EU Parliamentarians are coming on two day visit which is likely to begin on February 12 and it is being conducted by Army as were the two previous visits of two foreign delegations that visited Jammu and Kashmir to assess the ground situation.
These EU MPs are likely to visit district headquarters in Kashmir where the administration will brief them about the situation in Kashmir. They will also be briefed by the top Army Commanders on the situation in Kashmir and how Pakistan is trying to disturb peace in Valley by infiltrating militants into Jammu and Kashmir.
This is the third foreigners’ and second EU MPs delegation that will visit Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 of Indian constitution and bifurcation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Earlier, the EU Ambassadors refused to be part of the delegation of Ambassadors that visited Jammu and Kashmir on January 9. They refused to be part of any conducted tour and wanted to meet the people of their choice without any security presence.
The visit of the EU MPs is taking place at a time when the discussion and vote on a resolution brought in the Parliament on Kashmir is scheduled for next month. The vote was scheduled in January but it was deferred to March which was considered to be diplomatic victory for India.
The envoys of 15 nations including the United States of America visited Jammu and Kashmir for on the spot assessment of situation on January 9 and 10. Besides US, the Envoys from South Korea, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana, Argentina, Norway, Philippines, Maldives, Togo, Fiji, Peru, Bangladesh and Vietnam were part of the delegation who were invited by the Ministry of External Affairs.
They were briefed by Army at Badami Bagh Cantonment Srinagar, a group of former legislators headed by former Minister Altaf Bukhari, a delegation of journalists and few delegations from various sections of the society.
Prior to this, in October last year a group of EU Parliamentarians, mostly right wingers, visited Kashmir to assess the ground situation. They were also briefed by army, administration and met several delegations who presented their view point on situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
