Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that he would soon engage with the people of the state and a “meaningful dialogue” would be started to end the three-month long unrest, sources in the ruling People’s Democratic Party, an ally of the BJP, told this newspaper. Sources said the assurance from PM Modi was offered as soon as an “emotional” CM Mufti requested him for “tangible Confidence Building Measures” in the latest meeting between the two. She has asked the Central government to reach out to the people of Kashmir with political and economic initiatives, a move, she is confident, will end the deadlock.
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According to reports, the Centre will take a final call in the matter after going through the report submitted by the National Security Adviser about the situation in the valley, including the condition at the border. CM Mufti, who indicated her resolve to continue the PDP-BJP alliance despite opposition from her own colleagues in the PDP, apprised the PM about the “human problem” at the border due to escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan. She has apparently told the PM that hundreds of families living in the border villages have migrated to safer places but their farm land was being destroyed due to the presence of security forces. CM Mufti has said that her government has exhausted all steps at the administrative level to restore normalcy and now it was the Centre’s duty to start a political dialogue in order to bring peace.