Foreign envoys’ visit: Central Kashmir’s Magam town observes shutdown

A complete is being observed in the Magam town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district even as a group of 24 diplomats from foreign missions, who arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday visited the town block.

All shops and business establishments in the area remained shut while traffic movement remained skeletal, a news-gathering agency Kashmir News Trust (KNT) quoting locals reported.

Meanwhile, a traditional welcome was accorded to the envoys by  Panchayat and Block representatives.

Sources told KNT that visiting envoys were welcomed by the District Development Council (DDC) Chairman, Nazir Ahmad Khan and other panchayat representatives. Thereafter, Nazir Khan also addressed the envoys.

They said that diplomats were briefed on Panchayati Raj and grievance redressal through Back to Villages and Block. The Block and Panchayat representatives were all praise for the government to bring governance at the doorstep of the people.

Official sources said that French envoy Emmanuel Lenain and Italian envoy Vincenzo de Luca interacted with locals as well.

Pertinently, foreign diplomats from Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Bangladesh, Malawi, Eritrea, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the European Union are on 2 days visit.

Tomorrow the delegation will visit Jammu where they will interact with LG Manoj Sinha besides other government officials.

This is the first visit by foreign diplomats to Jammu and Kashmir since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Two batches of foreign diplomats had earlier visited Jammu and Kashmir in January and February last year when there was internet gag in the valley in wake of abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir. (KNT)