KARACHI May 3: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has announced the results of its annual elections for the term 202526. Kazim Khan of Daily Dunya has been elected unopposed as President, while Ghulam Nabi Chandio of Daily Pak has been chosen unopposed as Secretary General.

Other key office bearers elected include Ayaz Khan as Senior Vice President, Tanveer Shaukat as Deputy Secretary General, Hamid Hussain Abidi as Finance Secretary, and Zia Tanoli as Information Secretary. The elected Vice Presidents are Qazi Asad Abid, Adnan Zafar, Yahya Khan Sadozai, Mian Hassan Ahmed, and Munir Ahmed Baloch. Joint Secretaries elected are Tahir Farooq, Munazza Seham, Rafi Niazi, Arif Baloch, and Waqas Tariq Farooq.

Additionally, members elected unopposed to the Standing Committee include Dr. Jabbar Khattak, Ikram Sehgal, Akmal Chauhan, Babar Nizami, Maqsood Yousufi, Sher Muhammad Khawer, Sardar Muhammad Siraj, Mudasir Iqbal, Muhammad Owais Razi, Shehzad Amin, Irfan Athar, Shakeel Ahmed Turabi, Tazeen Akhtar, Anwar Sajdi, Mumtaz Ahmed Sadiq, Faqir Munthar Mangrio, Abdul Rehman Mangrio, Dr. Zubair Mehmood, Masood Khan, Fazl Haq, Zulfiqar Ahmed Rahat, Ali Ahmed Dhillon, Amir Mehmood, Syed Intizar Hussain Zanjani, Aslam Mian, Hamza Ali Afghan, Ayaz Memon, Mudasir Alam, and Mehmood Alam Khalid.

In the first meeting of the newly formed Standing Committee, President Kazim Khan reiterated CPNEs dedication to protecting Pakistans journalistic integrity through truth and verified reporting. He emphasized continued resistance against the misuse of the PECA Act and called for a clearer distinction by authorities between criticism and contempt. He also urged fair distribution of government advertisements among media outlets.

During the Annual General Meeting, members unanimously condemned India’s unilateral decision to revoke the Indus Waters Treaty based on what was described as a fabricated incident in Pahalgam. The move was declared a blatant violation of international law. A resolution also criticized Indias war hysteria, warning that it poses a threat to over two billion people in the region and constitutes a danger to global peace.

The meeting acknowledged the responsible role played by Pakistans print, electronic, and digital media during the crisis, noting that the media effectively countered Indian propaganda and upheld the national narrative. In light of this, the CPNE called on the government to repeal all laws that undermine freedom of expression and to ensure a free press in the country.

To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, CPNE also launched its annual Media Freedom Report, underscoring its commitment to press liberty and transparency.