TP REPORT
Peshawar: In an important step toward unity, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), under the leadership of Afzal Butt and Shamim Shahid, has reached a principled agreement on the merger and unification of the organization. A six-member committee has been formed to finalize the details and procedure of this unification.
As part of ongoing efforts to unite PFUJ—the country’s premier representative body of journalists—a high-level delegation led by Afzal Butt visited the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday. The delegation included senior members such as Mazhar Abbas, Nasir Zaidi, Arshad Ansari, Asif Bashir Chaudhry, Ayub Jan Sarhandi, Shehzada Zulfiqar, Lala Asad Pathan, Fauzia Shahid, Nayyir Ali, and Ali Raza Alvi, among other senior members.
The delegation was warmly received by Shamim Shahid along with Raja Riaz, M Riaz, Kashifuddin Syed, Arshad Aziz Malik, Saif ul Islam Saifi, Zia ul Haq, and other senior colleagues.
On the occasion, Afzal Butt thanked Shamim Shahid and his team for the warm welcome and emphasized that journalists across Pakistan are currently facing serious challenges. He stated that unity within PFUJ is the need of the hour, and his delegation has come with sincerity and firm commitment to achieve this goal.
Shamim Shahid, in his remarks, said that he and his colleagues are equally committed and sincerely desire unity within this premier journalists’ body.
Following detailed discussions between both sides, a consensus was reached on merger and unification, and a joint declaration was signed by Afzal Butt and Shamim Shahid. Mazhar Abbas and M Riaz signed the document as witnesses.
According to the agreement, a six-member committee has been constituted. Ali Raza Alvi, Nasir Hussain, and Bakhtzada Yousafzai will represent Afzal Butt’s side, while Arshad Aziz Malik, Raja Riaz, and Saif ul Islam Saifi will represent Shamim Shahid’s side. The committee is tasked with finalizing the modalities of the merger and submitting its report by May 16.
Journalists and organizations across the country have welcomed this significant development, calling it the most important step toward PFUJ unity since 2016. They expressed hope that this historic initiative taken in Peshawar will mark the beginning of greater unity and help address the challenges faced by journalists nationwide.
Afzal Butt and Shamim Shahid also thanked M Riaz for hosting this important meeting at the Peshawar Press Club.
