Violence on decline in Kashmir Valley: Mehbooba

New Delhi, Oct 26: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Thursday, said violence has declined in the Valley over the past few months. It was her first meeting with the Home Minister after the Centre appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as the Special Representative to initiate a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir with a view to find a solution to the vexed problem. She hailed Narendra Modi Government's move and welcomed the appointment of Mr Sharma to open a dialogue with all sections of the people, organisations and elected representatives. Expressing satisfaction with the assistance given by the Centre to the border State, Ms Mufti said, "All the developmental work under Prime Minister Development Projects (PMDP) is going on. The AIIMS and IIMS are being built." She declined to comment on the local panchayat election which was also said to have been discussed in the meeting. Last local elections in the state were held in 2011 and the next elections were scheduled in 2016 but the exercise had to be put on hold due to unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani. This is her second meeting with Home Minister in a span of fortnight. UNI