Will talk to youth involved in stone pelting: Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday called for dialogue to pacify the unrest prevailing in the state while asserting that the government will talk to the youth involved in violence and stone pelting.

"We will try to talk and listen to the problems of the youth who are involved in stone pelting. Our youth are very talented but they are trapped in this situation," Mufti told media here.

Mufti further said the state government would try to make way for the youth to get them out of the adverse situation.

Earlier this week, ahead of the by-polls for Anantnag parliamentary seat, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested 18 persons on stone pelting charges.

Police have launched a massive crackdown against the youth in South Kashmir by arresting at least 135 youth in the past two weeks.

The arrested youth were wanted for disrupting law and order in the district by resorting to violence, the police officials said.

Though the situation has improved gradually after the five-month unrest in 2016, South Kashmir remains charged as there are gun battles between militants and security forces and stone-pelting protests near encounter sites have become a routine in the last few months.