CPNE continuously elects Kazim Khan as president, flagging concerns about press freedom

Eminent journalist Kazim Khan was once again unopposed as president of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) during its annual general meeting held on the eve of World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, while Ayaz Khan was elected senior vice president.

During the meeting, Ghulam Nabi Chandio was elected as General Secretary and Tanveer Shaukat as Deputy General Secretary. The announcement was made by Election Committee Chairman Ali Raza Lehri, who congratulated the newly elected members.

The annual general meeting discussed the future of print media, the growing influence of digital platforms and the financial challenges facing the media industry.

Addressing the gathering, Kazim said World Press Freedom Day would be observed as a year of “resistance and protection of press freedom in 2026”, adding that “the resistance will begin at home”.

He said efforts would be made to counter fake news propagandists, dummy newspapers and those who shape narratives on the payroll of political parties and institutions.

“Every writer, every speaker and everyone who sits in front of a camera is not a journalist. Journalism that once commanded respect is now under threat,” he said, adding that powerful forces were trying to control journalism.

He further said that those who summon journalists to offices and issue threats in broad daylight must be resisted.

The participants of the meeting noted that although digital media was growing rapidly, print media would continue to maintain its position as a credible and documentary source.

Concerns were also raised about a sharp reduction in public advertising, which has created financial difficulties for newspapers and magazines. The decline in budgets and advertising shares for regional newspapers was described as a serious problem.

Speakers urged the government to provide subsidies or financial support to print media, ensure fair distribution of advertisements, restore quotas for regional newspapers and formulate a clear and transparent media policy.

Proposals were also made regarding digitalisation, including establishing an effective digital platform under CPNE, expanding digital reach and introducing modern technology.

Participants emphasized the need to counter the growing trend of fake news by promoting credible journalism and calling both print and electronic media a source of public trust.

The meeting also discussed organizational reforms, media policy and financial structures, and agreed that CPNE must modernize its strategy in line with current challenges.

It was further emphasized that there was a need to integrate print and digital media to build a strong, sustainable and credible media system to uphold journalistic standards and promote democratic values.

A special condolence session was held in memory of former CPNE General Secretary late Amir Mahmood where his services to press freedom and the organization were recognized by his son Taimur Aamir, President Kazim Khan, General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Chandio and other members.

At the end of the meeting, Kazim and Chandio thanked all the participants and appreciated the services of the CPNE Secretariat.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated the new officials.

Other elected officials

Other elected officials include Arif Baloch as Finance Secretary and Manzah Saham as Information Secretary. Regional Vice Presidents were also elected: Qazi Asad Abid (Sindh), Shakeel Turabi (Rawalpindi/Islamabad), Mian Ahmad Hassan (Punjab), Tahir Farooq (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and Anwar Sajdi (Balochistan).

The joint secretaries include Munir Baloch (Balochistan), Maqsood Yousufi (Sindh), Tanveer Siddiqui (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), Babar Nizami (Punjab) and Yahya Sadozai (Rawalpindi/Islamabad).

Other members of the Standing Committee include Hamid Hussain Abadi, Sardar Muhammad Siraj, Sher Muhammad Khawand, Abdul Rehman Mangrio, Zia Tanoli, Mudassar Iqbal, Shehzad Amin, Irfan Athar, Zulfiqar Ahmed Rahat, Abdul Salam Bhatt, Mumtaz Man Ahdi, A. Memon, Nisar Khattak, Akmal Chauhan, Dr Zubair Mehmood, Masood Khan, Fazl Haq, Ali Ahmed Dhillon, Abdul Khaliq Ali, Taimur Aamir, Syed Intizar Hussain Zanjani, Mian Aslam, Hamza Ali Afghan and Mehmood Alam Khalid.

Bilal Aslam and Obaid Aleem were also appointed as committee members, while the two-member arbitration committee consists of chairman Hassan Abbas and member Wazir Zada.