A group of 25 European parliamentarians is expected to visit India's union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for two days from 12 February onwards, sources have told Sputnik.
The visit, which is yet to be officially announced, comes ahead of voting on a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, likely to be held on 31 March after being cancelled in January.
The EU parliamentarians will be informed by Indian Army commanders about the situation in Kashmir and they will also visit the district headquarters where they will be briefed by the local administration, sources said.
According to a report by The Dispatch, the Indian Army will tell the delegation about Pakistan's alleged attempts to disturb the peace in the valley by purportedly facilitating militant infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.
On 9-10 January, a group of 15 foreign diplomats (non-EU) was taken by the Indian government to Jammu and Kashmir on a guided tour. This delegation included representatives from the US, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Fiji, Maldives, Norway, Philippines, Morocco, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana, and Togo.
During the visit, the diplomats interacted with people, the media, and a group of political leaders. The government maintained that the visit aimed to have envoys witness first-hand the impact of the steps taken by the Indian government to normalise the situation in Kashmir.
The EU representatives were not a part of this delegation, as sources pointed out they wanted unrestricted movement in the region and to meet people of their choice.
The Indian Foreign Ministry then said that the foreign diplomats could have free interactions once the situation improves in Kashmir.
The upcoming visit of EU parliamentarians to Kashmir will be the second after a delegation of 27 EU MPs from countries such as Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom visited the region in October last year.
After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government revoked the decades-old temporary special status of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August last year, the region was placed under media and Internet lockdown, with several political leaders and stone-pelters put in detention.
While the Indian government has said most of the detainees have been released, Internet restriction was also lifted completely on 25 January this year.
Kashmir has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, as both countries claim the region in full but govern it in part. Islamabad has raised the issue of the Indian parliament revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation to make it a federally administered union territory on international platforms.
