LAHORE: Senior media professionals belonging to television news channels met in Lahore on Monday and decided in principle to form an association of news directors and editors.
It was agreed that there is a need to have such an organisation to ensure the professional growth of electronic media and confront various challenges faced by news channels, including pressures to curb freedom of expression.
The meeting formed a core committee with the aim to prepare a draft constitution and contact directors news and editors of all news channels for the next meeting, where a formal shape will be given to the proposed organisation.
Representatives of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), headed by its President, Arif Nizami, and Secretary General, Dr Jabbar Khattak, as well as senior newspaper editors including Mujibur Rehman Shami, Zaffar Abbas, Saleem Bokhari, Ayaz Khan, Sohail Warraich, and Aamir Ghouri participated in the meeting and provided their valuable input.
The meeting was attended by Azhar Abbas (Geo TV), Fahd Husain (Express News), Rashid Mahmood (Aaj News), Zahid Mazhar (Dawn News), Fazil Jamili (Jang Web), Imran Mir (Aap News), Sarmad Salik (Indus News), Khurram Kaleem (City 42), Farooq Majeed (92 News), Rana Jawad (Geo News), Muhammad Usman (Neo TV), Ansar Naqvi (24 News), Farhan Mallick (Samaa TV), Ahmad Waleed (Samaa TV), Habib Akram (Dunya TV), Mian Tahir (24 News), and Shiraz Hasnaat (Hum News).