GILGIT, Feb 18: Two religious organizations have signed an agreement for keeping peace in Gilgit city. The deal was brokered by members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council.

The signatories to the peace agreement, the Tanzim Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at and the Central Anjuman-i-Imamia, Northern Areas, pledged to immediately stop issuing statements and counter-statements against each other and vowed to promote peace and foster sectarian harmony in the region.

They also declared that they would strive to resolve the curriculum issue. The NALC curriculum committee would include one expert from each school of thought.

They also vowed to observe the sanctity of Muharram and agreed that no new route that could cause a law and order situation be allowed for Muharram processions other than the traditional ones. The meeting decided that people belonging to one school of thought would be responsible for protecting those belonging to the other in their areas.

A former NALC adviser, Sheikh Ghulam Haider Najfi, president of Anjuman-i- Imamia Gilgit, Shaikh Mirza Ali, former NALC members Syed Jafar Shah, Qurban Ali, Maj (retd.) Hussain Shah, Issa and Syed Yahya represented Anjuman-i-Imamia while Sher Wali, Raja Nisar Wali, Sunbul Shah, Maulana Attaullah Shahab, Mutawali Khan, Jafarullah Khan and Haji Abdul Jaleel represented Tanzim Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at.