ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) elected its new office-bearers, including Mohammad Afzal Butt as president and Ashfaq Sajid as general secretary, and a 10-member executive committee for a one-year term in polling held on Saturday, the election committee announced on Sunday.

Other office-bearers, elected in the voting held at Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club, are: vice-presidents, Shaharyar Khan and Ali Sher; joint secretaries, Waqar Satti and Abdul Khaliq Khattak; and treasurer, Ataur Rehman Tahir.

Executive committee: Aamir Sajjad Syed, Bilal Dar, Asma Chaudhry, Azhar Jatoi, Abid Abbasi, Waqar Kazmi, Asim Yasin, Anila Qadir Baloch, Adeel Raza, with Gulzar Khan and Mohammad Aamir Rana to share a seat for six months each for polling equal number of votes.

RIUJ members polled votes on Saturday also for 55 seats of delegates for the next biennial delegates meeting of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. But the election committee said the vote count for delegates had not yet been completed and its result would be announced later.

A union press release said the main winning and losing candidates delivered speeches after the announcement of the result for offices and the executive committee late on Saturday night, pledging to leave behind differences voiced during their election campaign and work for the interests of working journalists together.