Lahore Press Club Elections heat up: Journalist-Progressive Panel joins the race

Reported by: Imran Malik

With slogans like “Teri Meri Justju, Phase 2 Phase 2” and “Aik Ansari, Sab Par Bhari,” the Journalist Progressive Panel has entered the fray. Yesterday, in a crowded Press Club hall, the Journalist Progressive Panel was announced with enthusiastic slogans and fervor.

Why is Arshad Ansari Important?

Arshad Ansari, who is also the current President, emphasized the importance of continuity in 2025, as several significant projects are nearing completion. He mentioned that the membership count is approximately 2,000, who will exercise their right to vote.

The Punjab government, in collaboration with RUDA, will complete the Journalist Colony Phase 2 project, located at a prime location on Eden Avenue, Multan Road. His group has worked tirelessly day and night on this project.

• Event Highlights:
  • Senior journalists and a large number of members attended the event.
  • Notable attendees included Raees Ansari, Abid Tahami, Ali Ahmed Dhillon, Rai Hasnain, Ajmal Star Malik, Afzal Talib, Mujahid Sheikh and many more.
• Candidates Announced:
  • Arshad Ansari for President (current President).
  • Afzaal Talib for Senior Vice President.
  • Zahid Abid for Secretary.
  • Salik Nawaz for Treasury Secretary

• Arshad Ansari’s Statement:
  • Emphasized the importance of continuity in 2025 due to ongoing major projects nearing completion.

Key Achievements Highlighted by Arshad Ansari:

• Membership nearing 2,000, all eligible to vote.
• Collaboration with Punjab Government and RUDA to finalize Journalist Colony Phase 2, located at close Eden Avenue, Multan Road.
• Press Club is fully operational on solar power with a humongous cost of 88 lakhs.
• Digital Room established and set for further upgrades.
• Modern gym facility introduced for journalists.
• Allocation of plots for families of journalists who passed away after 2012.
• Increased monthly stipend for disabled journalists to 30,000 PKR.
• Marriage grants for journalists’ daughters increased from 50,000 PKR to 300,000 PKR.
• Health Card coverage raised to 1 million PKR, with 250 journalists already benefiting.

Financial Management:

• The current group secured a record 50 million PKR grant this year.
• For the first time in history, the outgoing body is leaving 30 million PKR in the treasury.

Appeal to Members:

• Urged journalists to vote for the complete panel with a significant margin instead of adopting a zigzag approach.
• Concluded with the slogan: “Saadi Yari, Tahadi Yari, Arshad Ansari, Arshad Ansari!”