India to take foreign envoys to Kashmir to show the ground situation, first such move after August 5

New Delhi, Jan 07: The government will take groups of foreign envoys and senior diplomats to Kashmir in the coming weeks to show the ground situation, thereby meeting the world community's key request to be allowed into the region to assess the situation there, people familiar with developments said on Tuesday.

Unlike the last time, this visit is being organised completely by the government, including the Ministry of External Affairs, Home Affairs and Defence.

Diplomatic sources said,''India to take foreign envoys to Kashmir to show the ground situation. Envoys of several countries will be going to the union territory very soon.''

The first batch of some 20 envoys and senior diplomats was expected to travel to Srinagar as early as this week but the leak of the dates for the trip in the media has triggered a rethink within government circles because of concerns that a shutdown or protests could be organised to coincide with the visit, said two people who declined to be identified.

Last year in October, India took European Union Parliamentarians to Kashmir. It was the first such visit by an international delegation post-abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

The visit by the members of the European Parliament had come at a time when the Centre was making efforts to restore normalcy in the region.