GILGIT, March 10: Lawyers, politicians, citizens and newsmen here formed a Gilgit Citizens Forum primarily to deal with sectarian issues in the region.

The forum was announced at a peace conference here on Saturday and a local poet Jamshed Khan Dukhi was elected interim president of the body.

Top officials of the regional administration also participated in the conference.

RAIN: The region on Monday morning received a light rain which pushed temperature further down as the snowfall continued in the hilly parts of the Northern Areas.

SUSPENDED: District SP Faizan Safdar has suspended seven police personnel who were found absent from their duties during an inspection.

The suspended officials are: Inspector Hussain Ali, ASI Sher Ahmed, Hawaldar Ameer Hamza, and constables Khalid Mehmood, Rasool Amir, Zaheer Abbas and Ijlal Hussain.

Meanwhile, joint teams of police, Khyber Rifles, Frontier Constabulary and army have enhanced security measures in Gilgit district since Friday to avert any subversive activity in Muharram.