PM ready to talk to anyone to pacify situation in J-K: Shafiq Mir

Shafiq Mir, the chairman of Jammu and Kashmir panchayat conference, on Sunday expressed satisfaction with the assurance given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to normalise the situation in the state where more than 90 people have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes between the protestors and security forces post the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Mir, who was part of the 30-member delegation of an apex body representing 4,000 village panchayats of the state, said the Prime Minister promised them to take all steps to pacify the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We discussed a lot of issues related to Jammu and Kashmir in particular we focused on the present situation of the state. So far as the four month-long unrest is concerned, we discussed the issue of schools being targeted in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We also discussed the anger amongst the young generation in the state. We are very much satisfied that the Prime Minister heard us patiently and assured us to take apt steps on the issues discussed with him," he said.

"Speaking about the schools being torched and the students suffering in the area, the Prime Minister assured that doors of schools of the entire nation are open for them. The Prime Minister also said that he is ready to talk with anybody and that he is open to criticism as well," he added.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday said that development and trust would be cornerstones of his government initiatives to pull Jammu and Kashmir out of the prolonged unrest.

The Prime Minister assured the delegation that growth and development of the state was high on agenda.

According to reports, another school building yesterday was gutted on the 120th day of unrest in a fire in Bandipora district of Kashmir, taking the number of schools damaged during the ongoing unrest in the Valley to 32.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court last week took suo moto cognisance of the incidents and directed the state government to ensure that the schools are protected.

Expressing concern over the burning down of schools in the Kashmir Valley, the National Panthers Party (NPP) has called for the imposition of Governor's rule in the state, claiming that an atmosphere of complete chaos exists and needs to be quelled.