Omar to MEA Sushma, NSA Ajit Doval: “What are the Norwegians up to in Kashmir?”

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Monday, November 26, raised questions on the recent visit of former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik to Kashmir.

Bondevik recently visited Srinagar and met senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

Bondevik later also visited Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir and met a cross-section of people there.

Omar Abdullah on Monday, November 26, took to Twitter asking Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Secretary Advisor Ajit Doval to put the visit in its right perspective.

"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?" Omar said in his Twitter page.

In a statement, the separatists said Geelani and Mirwaiz told the former prime minister that since his country "has a history of playing a positive role in conflict resolutions", the Norwegian government should make serious efforts to resolve the vexed 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.