Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK): Chairman AJK Press Foundation Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja has said that the Press Foundation of Azad Jammu & Kashmir will leave no stone unturned to ensure the promotion of healthy journalism in Azad Jammu & Kashmir in line with the needs of the modern age through encouraging the professional and educated working journalists – side by side the overall welfare of the journalist fraternity across AJK.
He was speaking at the oath taking ceremony of the newly-elected members of the Board of Governors of state-controlled AJK Press Foundation here on Saturday. The Chairman AJK Press Foundation referred to various existing and proposed welfare projects meant exclusively for the welfare of the working journalists including member journalists of the AJK Press Foundation – primarily aimed at to facilitate the professional journalists with the required environment and infrastructural facilities at the press clubs in all ten districts of AJK including the state’s metropolis – Muzaffarabad to enable them to perform their professional duties in more conducive atmosphere, he added.
He said that at this crucial juncture of the struggle for freedom of occupied Jammu & Kashmir , it is enjoined upon the journalists at AJK, the base camp of Kashmir freedom struggle, to lend all of their professional skills and abilities for the projection of the Kashmir cause and the Kashmiris indigenous struggle for the achievement of birth right of self determination – through their high intellect and pen. Speaking on this occasion, Director General PID AJK and Secretary AJK Press Foundation Raja Azher Iqbal said that Rs. 15 million have so far been spent under the Press Foundation Act for the welfare of the needy journalists across Azad Jammu & Kashmir under the fold of the State Press Foundation since its inception since 2003 under the legislation inked through the AJK Parliament – the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The DGPR underlined various existing and upcoming projects exclusively meant for the welfare and uplift of the AJK journalists under the auspices of the AJK Press Foundation.
Earlier, Chairman AJK Press Foundation – the Judge of Azad Jammu Kashmir High Court Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja administered oath to all 12 newly elected members of the Board of Governors of AJK Press Foundation for next two years stipulated official term here Saturday morning. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Kashmir Press Club auditorium. Journalists from all ten districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir besides from amongst Rawalpindi-Islamabad based Kashmiri journalists largely attended the ceremony. Senior officials of Mirpur division and district administration including Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb, Deputy Commissioner Sardar Adnan Khursheed, Senior Superintendent of Police Riaz Haider Bukhari and others were also present on this occasion. The newly-elected members of the Board of governors of the AJK Press Foundation who took oath of their office included Journalist Arshad Mahmood Butt from Mirpur, Nasir Butt from Bhimbher, Sardar Zulfiqar Ahmed from Muzaffarabad, Shehzad Ahmed Rathore and Muhammad Amjad Chaudhry from Rawalpindi -Islamabad, Muhammad Arif Kashmiri from Jhelum Valley District, Muhammad Hayat Awan from Neelam valley, Muhammad Zahid Bashir from Rawalakot, Raja Mahmood Ayub Rathore from Kahota /Haveili, Rashid Yaqoob from Palandri, Muhammad Ashraf Khan from Bagh and Journalist Zamurd Hussain from Kotli.
The outgoing Vice Chairman Amjad Chaudhry also addressed the ceremony and underlined various steps he claimed to had initiated, during his term as Vice Chairman of the Foundation for the betterment and uplift of the journalist community in AJK, affiliated with national print and electronic media, besides the AJK State Press. Meanwhile, Journalist Sardar Zulfiqar Ali from Muzaffarabad district here Saturday was elected as Vice Chairman of the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Press Foundation, a state-controlled body meant for the welfare of AJK journalists, in the elections held under the auspices of Press Information Department of AJK government at the PID Mirpur Division office.
The newly-elected VC AJK Press Foundation Sardar Zulfiqar Ali clinched the victory securing eight our of all 12 votes against his only rival candidate Muhammad Amjad Chaudhry, who bagged only four votes, according to the results, later announced by the Chief Election Commissioner / Director General PID Azad Jammu Kashmir Raja Azher Iqbal at the venue of the election. Syed Basharat Hussain Kazmi and Javed Malik performed as Assistant Election Commissioner of the AJK Press Foundation to hold the polling in peaceful and transparent manner.
