GILGIT, May 2: A rally was organized here on Monday to promote peace, harmony and tranquillity in the Northern Areas. The rally, arranged by literary and journalist organizations in collaboration with the local administration, started from Puniyal Road and terminated at the City Park.

A large number of schoolchildren, politicians, members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council, traders, journalists and officials of the local administration participated in the rally.

At the end of the rally, the chief secretary said the administration would soon begin sports activities in the region and engage the youth in healthy activities.

The speakers urged the people to make all out efforts for promoting peace and harmony and work for poverty alleviation and uplift of the region.

The internationally acclaimed mountaineer, Nazir Sabir, PPP leader and former NALC member Syed Jafar Shah, Northern Areas Chief Secretary Nadeem Manzoor, IGP Sarmad Saeed, Home Secretary Hafeezur Rahman, nationalist leaders Inayatullah Shumali, Syed Yahya Shah and Hussain Shah, NALC Deputy Speaker Syed Asad Zaidi, members Syed Pir Karam Ali Shah, Abdul Hamid, Mohammad Iqbal, Ibrahim Sanai, Mirza Hussain, former NALC member Wazir Baig, Northern Areas Bar Council president Asadullah Khan, Syed Fazil Shah Naqvi, Advocate Altaf Hussain, Alwaiz Fida Ali Aisar, poet Jamshed Khan Dukhi, Gilgit District Council chairman Mohammad Hussain, District Council member Eiman Shah, Gilgit Municipal Council chairman Zawar Fida Hussain, Gilgit Press Club president Khurshid Ahmed and Gilgit Union of Journalists president Imtiaz Ali Taj were among the attendants.