SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday defended his decision to provide a state helicopter to Sultan Mehmood Chaudary, former prime minister of Pakistani Kashmir, to visit the hill station of Pahalgam and termed as "rubbish" media reports that the gesture cost Rs.11 crore.
With some people curious to know why he provided the chopper to Chaudary, and if the ride to and fro from Pahalgam cost the state R.11 crore, Omar responded on twitter: "And for the record the 11 cr figure for the flight to Pahalgam & back is complete rubbish. I doubt it would cost that even in an A380."
This comment was followed by another on the twitter site, "And in case you are interested, the cost of flying is 55,000 an hour. The flying time to and fro is 45 minutes so as they say - do the math."
The Pakistani Kashmir leader, who came here to attend the marriage of a local businessman's son, visited Pahalgam Tuesday accompanied by Nasir Aslam Wani, the state junior minister for tourism.
Chaudary told some reporters that during their chance meeting at his host's residence in Srinagar he had conveyed the chief minister his wish to visit the hill station, and Omar was courteous enough to facilitate the trip.
In an earlier tweet, Omar wrote: "Former 'Azad' Kashmir Premier accepted the hospitality of the elected CM of J&K. I'm very glad that he did."
Reports here said the Pakistani Kashmir leader had also visited the mausoleum of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, Omar's grandfather and founder of the regional National Conference, on the bank of the Dal Lake in Srinagar and offered 'Fateh prayers' there.
Leaders of Pakistan and also those of Pakistan administered Kashmir have always been highly critical of late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, whom they blame for giving political legitimacy to the accession of the state to India in 1947.