J&K: Omar Abdullah to meet US envoy, but says internal issues stay with Centre
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said he will meet visiting U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor to discuss the region's situation, but ruled out raising internal issues with Washington's representative, asserting that only the central government can resolve them.
“It is after a very long time that a U.S. ambassador is visiting Jammu and Kashmir. For me personally, it has been a long time since I met any American ambassador. Let him come; we will sit and talk,” Mr. Abdullah told reporters.
The Chief Minister, however, indicated that he would prefer to listen more to the ambassador even as “he is also coming to listen.” He added, “Let's see what kind of conversation takes place when he comes to meet this afternoon.”
Mr. Abdullah said the issues facing Jammu and Kashmir have no direct bearing on the United States, and that a resolution to the Union Territory's problems will come from the central government, not from Washington.
“It has never been my habit to lodge complaints about my country to an ambassador of another country. The resolution to our issues will not come from Washington; the resolution to our problems lies with our central government,” he said.
“So, I believe it would be very inappropriate to complain about our country to an ambassador of another country. That is not my habit,” Mr. Abdullah added.
The Chief Minister said he would certainly discuss Jammu and Kashmir and the current situation, “but I will neither complain nor seek solutions to our grievances from them.”
The visit of the U.S. Ambassador to Jammu and Kashmir comes amid ongoing diplomatic exchanges between India and the United States. Under India's constitutional framework, Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory administered by the central government, which holds jurisdiction over matters of national importance and external affairs.
Political observers note that such high-level foreign visits are part of routine diplomatic engagement, while internal governance matters remain the domain of the elected government and the Centre. The Chief Minister's remarks reflect a clear position on the limits of foreign interlocutors in domestic affairs.
