ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has given full membership of its executive committee to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), says a message sent by the IFJ executive secretary, Christiane Denis from Brussels to the PFUJ secretary-general Fauzia Shahid.

The PFUJ will now benefit from IFJ services, including press cards, and will be involved in its work through regional meetings on industrial and professional issues.

The decision was taken at the IFJ executive committee meeting which met in Brussels on Nov 16 and 17, the message said.

The PFUJ will be entitled to vote at the next congress of the IFJ that will take place in Greece in May 2004. It will give the PFUJ a voice to elect the members of the executive committee which is the body implementing the three-year IFJ working programme agreed by the congress, the IFJ secretary said.

The PFUJ will benefit from results of enquiries, publications and reports on professional issues. The IFJ is mainly involved in the defence of labour rights, public service broadcasting, and freelancers’ rights.

The IFJ is looking at setting-up a mechanism which would improve the safety of the journalists identifying at the same time the responsibilities of all partners involved in the media industry.

The IFJ EC membership is a recognition of the PFUJ struggle it has been engaged in since its inception in August 1950 for freedom of information and expression as well as for the rights of the journalists and for democracy.

Meanwhile, PFUJ president I.H. Rashid and secretary-general Fauzia Shahid while expressing satisfaction over the decision termed it a laurel for the journalists community of Pakistan.