Foreign envoys should be allowed to move freely in Kashmir: Pak

Pakistan said on Thursday that any visit by foreign envoys to Kashmir should take place without any restriction and the diplomats should be allowed to meet the Hurriyat leadership.

In the first such trip by foreign diplomats post August 5, envoys of 15 countries, including the US, visited the Kashmir valley on Thursday where they interacted with select political representatives, civil society members as well as military top brass with the Indian government rejecting criticism that it was a "guided tour".

"We hope that the visit would take place without any restriction by the Indian Government so that envoys would have access to all areas," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said.

"They may also be allowed to freely interact with Hurriyat leadership and Kashmiri people in an atmosphere free from intimidation and coercion, she told the media, commenting on the envoys' visit to Kashmir.

She also rejected the reports of the persecution of minorities in the country and vandalism at the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, describing them as part of a smear campaign against Pakistan.

When asked about a letter written by Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Gillani to Prime Minister Imran Khan last year, Farooqui said the response had been "conveyed to him in line with Pakistan's historical and steadfast support and commitment to the Jammu and Kashmir cause".