By Our Correspondent
LAHORE – The National Women Journalists Forum organized a reception in honor of Lahore Press Club (LPC) President and Federal Union of Journalists’ General Secretary Arshad Ansari, following his nomination by the Government of Pakistan for the prestigious Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in recognition of his services to journalism and the journalist community.
The ceremony was hosted and presided over by senior journalist and Forum President Farzana Chaudhry. Upon his arrival, Arshad Ansari was warmly received with applause by women journalists who paid rich tribute to his contributions.
Prominent senior journalists, including Farah Warraich, Fakhira Tahreem, Waseem Fatima, Saadia Salahuddin, Dr. Saima Iqbal, Saadia Qureshi, Dr. Amira Malik, Iffat Alvi, Fauzia Hameed, Tamsila Chishti, Fauzia Gohar, Mubashra Sultan, Kanwal Naseem, Azka Maqsood, Durakhshanda Alamdar, Rabia Azmat, Lubna Khan, Nabeela Akbar, Iqra Mughal, Gulnaz Nawab, and Zubaida Anwar, praised Ansari’s lifelong commitment to principled and exemplary journalism.
Speakers highlighted that Ansari is the only president in LPC’s history elected for thirteen terms, a testament to his credibility and trust within the media fraternity. They also commended his efforts to support both male and female journalists, especially his initiative in the recent LPC elections to reserve the Vice President’s seat for women journalists—a landmark move welcomed across the media community.
Addressing the gathering, Forum President Farzana Chaudhry said that honoring women journalists has always been a hallmark of Arshad Ansari’s leadership. “His nomination for Tamgha-e-Imtiaz is not just an honor for him but a matter of pride for all of us,” she said. She added that the approval of a reserved seat for women journalists in LPC elections was not only a success of the Forum but a historic achievement for all women journalists, credit for which goes to Ansari.
In his remarks, Arshad Ansari thanked the Forum for organizing the event, saying, “All women journalists are like my sisters, and I have always prioritized solving their issues and will continue to do so.” He also praised Farzana Chaudhry’s efforts in uniting women journalists through the Forum.
On the occasion, Forum members demanded that long-serving working women journalists who have not yet received LPC membership should be granted council membership on merit and priority.
The ceremony concluded with the cutting of a cake in honor of Arshad Ansari and a grand luncheon, attended by senior and junior women journalists including Sophia Yazdani, Shumaila Iqbal, Zahida Parveen, Fauzia Sultana, Ayesha Fayaz, Shaheen Rasheed, Nasreen Butt, Mubashra Anwar, Shaheen Warraich, Farah Alvi, Tehzeen Tahir, Ujala Riaz, and Shazia Sultana, among others.
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