The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, shut down an event midway, where former President General (r) Pervez Musharraf was speaking after tensions between his supporters and opponents escalated beyond control.
General (r) Musharraf had been addressing a crowd of around 150 people at the Nobel Peace Center the other day. The lecture, which was about security policy and the current situation in Pakistan and the South Asian region had been arranged by Norwegian organisation, ‘Dialogue for Peace.’
However, according to the Nobel Peace Center, the question and answer session that follows such lectures melted down with supporters and opponents almost coming to blows. The tension between the two groups reached the point where the Nobel Peace Center had to intervene and put an end to the event.
In a statement delivered the next day, the Nobel Peace Center explained that “As the floor was opened for questions, the discussion between Musharraf’s followers and opponents escalated. When some participants attempted to silence and remove critical voices, we decided to stop the event.”
According to certain people present at the lecture and the center’s statement itself, Musharraf’s supporters had attempted to silence voices critical of the self-exiled former military ruler. It would seem as if Musharraf’s infamous censorship at home does not work in places such as Norway.
Furthermore, according to its own representatives, the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo is one of Norway’s and the World’s most visited museums with approximately 250 000 visitors per year. It also presents the Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their work, and woks as an arena for debate and reflection around topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution.
The Center further added that it also aims to be a center of progressive dialogue and an “arena of topical conversation.” Because of this the center explained that they found it necessary to end Pervez Musharraf’s lecture when they did as they did not want to even risk it turning into something ugly.
“At the Nobel Peace Center we aim to have an open house. We want different, also critical, voices to be heard,” said the center’s official statement.
“We will not accept open debate to be hindered, but we will never use force to achieve it. Consequently, we found it necessary to cancel the Q&A and stop this event. We deeply regret how this turned out” they further stated.
The former President has been in Norway for some time now in a visit that has been highly publicised by both his social media team and members of his political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League.
During the visit, Musharraf has met with former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne, and thanked him for his attempts and efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue. He also exchanged greetings with Governor Oslo, Valgerd Svarstad, and Drammers Mayor Tore Opdal. The former military ruler and head of state was even received by the Director of the Nobel Peace Center, Mrs Liv Torres.
However, the Nobel Peace Center has since seen fit to distance themselves from the retired General, stressing that it was not them that had invited Musharraf to give a lecture and that it had been a secondary external partner which often arranges events at the center.
“On Thursday, August 17th, Pakistan’s former president, Pervez Musharraf gave a lecture at the Nobel Peace Center. Some of these events are programmed by the Nobel Peace Center, others by external partners. This time the Norwegian organization, Dialogue for Peace was responsible for the content and for hosting the event. read the official statement from the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo.
It went on to stress that “Former President Musharraf was not invited to Norway by the Nobel Peace Center.”