JournalismPakistan.com | Published July 23, 2016
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ISLAMABAD - The elections of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) will be held in Peshawar on August 27, after all related matters were settled by the Unification Committee.
A spokesman for the committee that met in Islamabad Saturday told JournalismPakistan.com the 2013 electoral college had been restored and will have the right to vote.
On Saturday, all presidents and secretaries of unions of journalists took part in the meeting. Only representatives of Karachi were missing. The spokesman however said the union leaders there had faith in the unification committee.
Senior journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai (pictured) has been named as the chairman of the election committee. The Biennial Delegates Meeting (BDM) will take place on August 25 and 26 followed by elections on August 27.
Saturday's meeting was chaired by M. Ziauddin. The house decided that a request be made to the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) to monitor the polls to ensure transparency.
Meanwhile, a press release of the Unification Committee said: Pervaiz Shaukat, former PFUJ president who had bitterly opposed the splintering of the PFUJ after the 2013 controversial elections contributed significantly during today’s consultations and it was on his suggestion that the UC decided to arrange the unification polls at the earliest with the 2013 BDM members serving once again as the electoral college.
Afzal Butt, president of one of the two defunct PFUJ factions and his former general secretary Khurshid Abbasi also enthusiastically endorsed the suggestions made by Pervaiz Shaukat. The two actively participated in the consultations and their input helped immensely in obtaining a unanimous decision on the date of election as well as on the electoral college.
Rana Azeem, the president of the other defunct faction of PFUJ while expressing his regrets for not attending today’s consultations over telephone told the UC Chairman, M. Ziauddin Friday night that since he had just returned after performing Umrah, he was not in a position to immediately undertake journey to Islamabad. He, however, expressed his full support to the UC’s efforts for unification.
Ameen Yousuf, secretary general of the defunct Rana Azeem faction who is currently in London, before his departure while talking to UC chairman over telephone expressed his full confidence in the unification process and pledged to endorse any and all decisions taken by the UC for the purposes of unification.
A number of other office-bearers of the defunct Rana Azeem faction attended the consultation process.
A number of former and some current office-bearers of UJs who attended the consultations keenly participated in the discussion and enriched the consultations with their highly valuable suggestions.
Those 2013 BDM members who participated in the irregular Murree affair disowned even by Amin Yousuf, the secretary general of the defunct faction that had taken upon itself to hold the so-called PFUJ elections in Murree where no UJ exists are welcome to participate in the August 27 polls by renouncing their participation in Murree affair.
In the interest of fairplay and democracy the UC would be willing to discuss this matter with any BDM member who had participated in the Murree affair and now would like to distance him/herself from it.
Three UC members — Hussain Naqi, Shahidur Rehman and M. Ziauddin — conducted today’s consultations. Rahimullah Yousufzai could not come because he had undergone an eye-operation on Friday. Khawar Naeem Hashmi and Habib Khan Ghori could not attend because of their professional engagements. All those who were not present were taken into confidence on the consultation process and the decisions taken over telephone.
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