“Former Azad Kashmir Premier accepted the hospitality of the elected CM of J&K. I am very glad that he did,” Omar tweeted after a section of media criticised him for his action.

During his three-day private visit to Kashmir, Mehmood flew to the tourist resort of Pahalgam in a state government chopper and returned here to meet the separatist leaders including the hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani. 

The PoK leader was accompanied to Pahalgam by Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Sogami. A day prior to his Pahalgam visit, the former  PM of POK did meet Omar and central interlocutor Radha Kumar at a marriage ceremony.

A section of media claimed that Rs 11 crore was spent for the chopper flight of Mehmood.