The former Chief Minister said "none of us has bothered about them" and there is no way for them to express themselves other than displaying such flags.
"It is actually the frustration and anger in the youth. Nothing is being done for them. They can't show their anger by any other method except by putting these flags up," Abdullah told reporters here when asked about the frequent hoisting of ISIS and other controversial flags during protests in Kashmir.
Necessary measures need to be taken to "get these boys back into the national mainstream", he said, adding, "You have to look at the what is pinching them."
At the same time, he said that borders between India and Pakistan can never be changed as referred to a series of grenade attacks carried out by militants in Srinagar today.
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Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he advocated friendly relations with Pakistan.
"What must be done is friendship between the two countries. It is essential for survival of Kashmir and when I say Kashmir, it means Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
"I remember Vajpayee Ji's words that friends can be changed but neighbours cannot be. Either we can have friendly relations with the neighbours or destruction is around the corner. They (Pakistan) should also understand this that the Muslims across the world today are facing destruction. Who is responsible for it," he said.