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PESHAWAR: In a significant move towards unity within the journalistic community, two factions of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) have reached an agreement in principle on merger and constituted a six-member committee to finalise the process and its modalities.
According to a statement issued here on Friday as part of ongoing efforts to bring together the country’s premier representative body of journalists, a high-level delegation led by PFUJ President Afzal Butt visited the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.
The delegation included senior journalists and office-bearers such as former Secretary General Mazhar Abbas, Nasir Zaidi, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists President Asif Bashir Chaudhry, former secretary general Ayub Jan Sarhandi, former president Shehzada Zulfiqar, Finance Secretary Lala Asad Pathan, former secretary general Fauzia Shahid, former National Press Club general secretary Nayyar Ali, and former Islamabad Union of Journalists president Ali Raza Alvi.
They were received by President of another PFUJ faction Shamim Shahid, Secretary General Raja Riaz, Peshawar Press Club President M. Riaz, Khyber Union of Journalists President Kashifuddin Syed and other senior members, including Arshad Aziz Malik, Saif-ul-Islam Saifi and Zia-ul-Haq.
Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Butt thanked Shamim Shahid and his colleagues for the warm welcome and emphasised that journalists across the country were facing serious challenges, making unity within PFUJ the need of the hour. He said his delegation had come with sincerity to achieve this objective.
Shahid echoed similar sentiments, stating that he and his colleagues were committed to uniting the organisation in the larger interest of the journalistic community.
Following detailed negotiations, both sides agreed in principle on merger and unification and issued a joint declaration. The document was signed by Butt and Shahid, with Mazhar Abbas and Riaz signing as witnesses. A six-member committee has been formed to work out the details and mechanism of the merger. Ali Raza Alvi, Nasir Hussain and Bakhtzada Yousafzai will represent Butt’s group, while Arshad Aziz Malik, Raja Riaz and Saif-ul-Islam Saifi will represent Mr Shahid’s side. The committee will submit its report by May 16.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026
