Envoys in JK, get briefing from army, meet civil society members

A team of 15 envoys including the US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the first by diplomats since August last year when the state's special status was revoked and it was downsized to a union territory.

The envoys were brought in a chartered aircraft and landed at technical airport here from where they were taken directly to the army cantonment for a briefing, officials said here.

Top officials from the newly carved out union territory of Jammu and Kashmir received the delegation, which will be going to Jammu later in the day and stay the night there.

This time there was no hartal call and shops and business establishments were functioning and civilian traffic was seen on the roads unlike the October visit of a delegation of Members of European Parliament, which was organised by a private NGO.

The delegation, accompanied by Secretary (West) of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup, was briefed by a team of top .