Srinagar: Senior American diplomats visited Jammu and Kashmir on Monday to engage with various political leaders in the Union Territory, including National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah at his Gupkar residence, The Print reported.
The visit comes ahead of the assembly elections in JK, the first since the Narendra Modi led government of India revoked the region’s special status by abrogating Article 370 in August 2019. Following the abrogation, the former state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
This diplomatic visit occurred two weeks after US Consul General Jennifer Larson met with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad.
The American delegation in J&K included Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the US Embassy in Delhi, Graham Mayer, along with First Secretary Gary Applegarth and Political Counsellor Abhiram Ghadyalpatil.
Mayer had previously visited the Valley in August 2023, where he met with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar.
During his meeting with the diplomats, Abdullah urged for a reconsideration of travel advisories for J&K and called for easing restrictions on visits. Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi was also present at the meeting, The Print report mentioned.
In addition to Abdullah, the American diplomats also met with former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu.
