Zubair Qureshi
Journalist Panel has made a clean sweep victory in the elections of National Press Club Islamabad, held Friday. Despite increase in Covid-19 cases in Islamabad, a large number of journalists participated in the election and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice.
Although there were allegations of bogus voting and the runner-up candidate Azad Journalists Panel, Shakeel Qarrar objected to presence of police inside the polling station, yet according to the election committee the Journalist Panel won all the positions of the body.
Chairman Election Committee, Asim Qadeer Rana announced the results. According to the results, Anwar Raza was elected president as he bagged 1017 votes. Shakeel Qarar of Azad Journalist Panel the runner-up secured 611 votes.
There was also a close contest between Journalist Panel’s Khalil Ahmed Raja and Azad Journalist Panel’s Dr Sadia Kamal for the key post of Secretary NPC. However, Raja got 823 votes while Sadia bagged 771 votes. There were 13 candidates in the run for three seats of vice presidents but Journalists Panel’s Azhar Jatoi with 980 votes, A. Nazir Charan with 839 votes and Ghazanfar Abbas with 825 finished at the top to emerge victorious.
Jatoi, who remained at the top was declared senior vice president. Again Journalist Panel’s Myra Imran was elected vice president on women’s seat as she bagged 939 votes to outsmart her main opponent Irfana Yasir, who got 467 votes. Journalist Panel’s Nayyer Ali was elected on the coveted seat of Secretary Finance as she took 740 votes to see off her main challenger Usman Khan of Azad Journalist Panel’s, who got 640 votes.
For the three joint secretary slots, there were 12 candidates in the run. However, Journalist Panel’s Muhammad Aslam Lurka, Waqar Abbasi and Tallat Farooq clinched these prime seats, getting 882, 805 and 791 votes, respectively.
On the joint secretary women seat, Shakeela Jalil was elected as she bagged 949 votes to edge pass her main rival Mahwish Fakhar, who got 493 votes. Of over 2,850 eligible voters at the club, 1,963 turned up to vote on the election day on Friday. After announcement of the results, the newly-elected office-bearers congratulated and thanked their voters for their votes and support to win the polls by a thumping margin.
They assured them to live up to the expectations by working for their welfare and striving for their rights.
The voting was marred by frequent disruptions due to poor management and allegations of ‘non-journalists’ voting on bogus cards.
