What are Norwegians doing in Kashmir? Omar Abdullah asks Centre to clarify

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asked the Centre for a clarification on why a former Norwegian PM visited the state and met separatist leaders. 

Tweeting to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Omar said: "What are the Norwegians up to in Kashmir? Would either @SushmaSwaraj ji or Doval ji care to put the visit of the former Norwegian PM to both sides of the divided state in the correct context or do we have to rely on rumours & conjecture."

Former Norway prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik had on Friday met senior separatist leaders in Srinagar. The meeting was held at the uptown Hyderpora residence of Syed Ali Geelani.

Calling it a fruitful meeting of JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership) with Bondevik, senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had tweeted: "As Norway is known to play a constructive role in conflict resolution across the globe, urged Bondevik to help in ending the daily killings and urgent resolution of the festering Kashmir dispute."

Geelani and Mirwaiz also told the former prime minister that the Norwegian government should make serious efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute to mitigate the sufferings of the people and ensure a lasting peace in South Asia. They said the leaders explained to the visiting dignitary the prevailing situation in Kashmir and termed it "very sensitive and fragile".

The former Norwegian prime minister-led delegation assured the separatist leaders that "they would use their good offices to ensure that a sustained and result-oriented dialogue between India and Pakistan begins so that an amicable solution to the Kashmir issue is found," the statement claimed.