Mehbooba Mufti urges talks with stakeholders to end violence in J&K

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said Thursday that PhD scholar-turned militant preferring death in an encounter over life should make political parties realise the gravity of the situation and facilitate dialogue with all stakeholders to end the bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Manaan Bashir Wani, who was pursuing PhD in Allied Geology at Aligarh Muslim University, quit studies and joined ranks of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in January this year.

He was killed, along with another associate, in an encounter with security forces in Handwara area of Kupwara district this morning.

"Today a PhD scholar chose death over life & was killed in an encounter. His death is entirely our loss as we are losing young educated boys every day," Mehbooba wrote on her Twitter handle.

"It is high time that all the political parties in the country realise the gravity of this situation and try to facilitate a solution through dialogue with all the stakeholders including Pakistan to end this bloodshed," she added.