EU delegation arrives in occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR: A delegation of European Union (EU) lawmakers arrived in Srinigar on Tuesday for a two-day visit to Indian occupied Kashmir to assess the situation in the disputed territory, reported Indian publication The Hindu.

A delegation of 27 European Union MPs drawn from 11 countries reached the volatile region to get a first-hand account of the situation in IoK after New Delhi’s decision to abolish Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave the occupied territory a special status.

During the two-day visit, the EU MPs will be briefed by the government officials on the situation in the Valley.

It is expected that the team will also meet Kashmiris and get to know what they have been going through since early August.

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Former IoK chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, one of the scores of leaders detained since August, said on Twitter she hoped the lawmakers would be allowed free access.

“Hope they get a chance to speak to the people, local media, doctors and civil society members. The iron curtain between Kashmir & the world needs to be lifted.”

The EU delegation will be the first foreign group visiting Kashmir since August. This month, US members of Congress expressed concern over a lack of access for diplomats and foreign media.