Srinagar, Feb 17 (IANS): Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz on Wednesday said the foreign envoys' visit to Kashmir is just part of a "futile exercise on public relations" by the central government.

In a statement, Soz said it is unfortunate that the government has not learnt any lesson from its past mistakes.

"Elders have rightly said that if people do not learn a lesson from their mistakes, they are bound to repeat these mistakes time and again," Soz said. "As done earlier by government of India and government of Jammu & Kashmir, these envoys will enjoy sightseeing in Kashmir and get back to their countries. Ultimately, this whole exercise will mean complete wastage of taxpayers' money. I have a feeling that the envoys will read the agony of Kashmiris writ large on the horizons in Kashmir."

Soz further added that the people of Kashmir are sure that the government's security agencies will not be able to convince these envoys that things are normal in Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370.

"I also hope that the envoys will realise the fact that Kashmiris are deeply sad and angry on the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India that happened to be the basis of the their constitutional relationship with India and they (the people of Kashmir) have already started a democratic movement for restoration of their internal autonomy enshrined in Article 370," Soz said.