J&K: Muslim spiritual leaders to visit State between October 12-14

A delegation of Sufi leaders and spiritual heads of various shrines across the country will visit Jammu and Kashmir between October 12 and 14 to meet the locals and assess the ground situation there. The spiritual head of Ajmer dargah, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, has taken the initiative to send the delegation comprising 18 members that will be led by his son Nasiruddin Chisty. 

Speaking about the initiative on October 10, Ajmer dargah Deewan said, "Kashmir has been a sufferer of false propaganda which is executed against India from across the border. I felt the necessity that we should interact with Kashmiri people, particularly youths, and work for prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir, therefore, the decision to send a delegation to J&K was taken. We would like to act as a bridge between the Kashmiri (people) and prosperity," he added.

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He said the Centre and other authorities have been informed about the visit of the delegation, which will leave New Delhi on October 12. The delegation members are from Rajasthan, (Ajmer, Jaipur, and Jhunjhjunu), Hyderabad, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Bihar. 

Chisty said that the delegation members will be interacting mainly with youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir and will assess the ground reality. "Our aim is to build trust among youths and other people and to bring them into the mainstream," Chisty said.

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Current situation of Kashmir

Meanwhile, the Centre has stated that the situation in Kashmir is slowly being restored back to normalcy. Sources report that in Anantnag there has been almost 50% vehicular movement as per usual. Sources also report that 10-20% of the shops in the district have been opened. While traffic has been seen increasing in the Valley, public transport is still not functional, as informed by authorities.

While landline connections have been restored completely, internet and cell connections too have been restored to most parts of the Valley, according to Kashmir administration, while economic activity has picked up, as stated by authorities. Schools have also opened in the Valley and attendance has been gradually rising. The state administration has been giving regular reports about medical facilities functional in the Valley.

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(with PTI inputs)