New Delhi, October 29: Three leaders from Jammu and Kashmir attended┬аlunch hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for the lawmakers from European Union on Monday. One of the leaders was┬аMuzafar Baig, a leader of Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP), said a report. Baig is former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Altaf Bukhari, who was earlier with the PDP, was also among attendees.┬аOmar Abdullah Works Out at Gym And Watches Hollywood Movies in Detention, Mehbooba Mufti Confines Herself to Books.

Interestingly, PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is┬аcurrently under detention. Usman Majeed, a Congress leader from Jammu and Kasmir, attended the lunch. The┬аmove to invite┬аthe three leaders┬аis seen as a search for new political faces in the Valley. This is the first such instance since the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status granted under Article 370 that some politicians from the state attended an event organised by the Centre.┬аSilent on Article 370 Repeal, National Conference to Focus on Securing Full Statehood For Jammu and Kashmir.

According to reports, Mehbooba Mufti's PDP's staunch opposition to┬аthe nullification of Articles 370 and 35A was the reason┬аwhy the scheduled meeting of a party delegation with the detained leader was cancelled earlier this month. PDP leader Firdos Tilak had said that┬аthe party deferred the proposed visit following serious differences within its camp over the visit. Meanwhile, the party has┬аsought fresh permission from the governor administration to meet Mufti.

A 28-member European parliamentary delegation is visiting Kashmir Valley today, in the first visit by an international delegation to the state. It comes two days ahead of the state's formal bifurcation into two Union Territories.

On Agust 5, the Parliament scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and passed┬аthe Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act which bifurcates the state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature, and Ladakh without one. Several mainstream politicians were detained prior to the unprecedented move.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 29, 2019 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).