PFUJ unification committee announces July 24 date for elections

ISLAMABAD: The PFUJ Unification Committee (UC) announced July 23, 2016 as the tentative date for the next BDM and July 24, the tentative date for the next PFUJ elections.

According to a press release the Electoral College would be the same that had participated in the 2013 polls whose authenticity was not challenged by any of the groups contesting the elections. These elections would be held tentatively in Peshawar on the dates announced above. 

The UC will be writing letters to all the 2013 delegates individually inviting them to the July 23, 2016 BDM.

The UC will announce the names of election commission soon in consultation with office bearers of the two defunct factions of the PFUJ.

The UC took this decision after its meeting on Friday with M. Ziauddin in the chair. The UC reviewed its visit to Karachi and also considered the submissions made by both the factions of the Karachi Union of Journalists as well as a report submitted to the UC by the members of the election commission (EC) that conducted the disputed 2013 PFUJ elections. 

The UC was also of the opinion that the community of working journalists had suffered immensely during the last three years due to the division among its ranks. The most serious setback suffered by the community was in regard to the non-implementation of the 7th wage board and delays being faced by the subsequent wage boards. 

During May 13 meeting the UC’s visit to Lahore was also comprehensively discussed.

The UC found keen interest among both factions despite strong reservations over the role of the UC and on unification bid from one side. KUJ put forward its strong reservation over UC, and we welcomed their view. UC assured every member of both factions that the probe into 2013 elections will be announced before the elections and hoped that both parties would accept it.

The visit of UC members to Karachi and Lahore and its meetings with community members in Islamabad were very useful and the UC found willingness on the part of the general members of both factions of PFUJ to support the unification process despite some reservations from both sides, which was quite understandable in such cases. 

The UC appealed to all members to support unification in the larger interest of PFUJ and found elections on 2013 delegate list, the way forward for unification.