The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) has elected Azhar Abbas president and Tariq Mahmood general secretary, the broadcast journalists’ body announced on Saturday.
Muhammad Usman and Mian Tahir were elected vice presidents, while Rehan Ahmed and Nadeem Jamal were named joint secretaries. Shahab Mahmood was elected finance secretary, according to the election results.
The association’s General Council, in meetings held in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, also elected the remaining members of the executive committee.
The newly elected members include Zahid Mazhar, Masoom Rizvi, Mohsin Raza, Mubarak Ali, Kamran Lashari, Humayun Saleem, Muhammad Naushad Kahwaja, Hasnain and Razaq Sarohi.
AEMEND raises concerns over press freedom
The General Council expressed grave concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Pakistan and the growing use of government powers and state institutions to restrict independent journalism.
It also voiced concern over the alleged misuse of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and the actions of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The council observed that the irresponsible conduct of certain YouTubers operating under the guise of journalism appeared to serve personal or political agendas.
However, it stressed that the actions of a few individuals could not justify imposing restrictions on the media as a whole.
The General Council resolved that the newly elected executive committee would hold detailed discussions on the overall state of the media in the country before issuing a comprehensive statement outlining the association’s position.
