After 'takeover', Kashmir Press Club passes resolution to form panel for polls

A day after a forcible "takeover" of the Kashmir Press Club, the journalists’ association passed a resolution for the “elected body” to nominate a committee of members from different media outfits in Kashmir for the purpose of holding elections.

Kashmiri journalist Azaan Javaid, who is part of the committee, posted the resolution on Twitter.

The resolution stated, “The elected body has further resolved/decided to appoint/ nominate a committee with members from constituent/most media associations functional in Kashmir. While nominating the committee, care has been taken that it be broad-based and represents every section of the fraternity.”

The committee will have the mandate to hold elections for a new association and will constitute an election commission for the same, the resolution stated. It also said that the committee would complete the re-registration of the club, which has been pending before the Registrar Societies and Firms, Kashmir, and also “assist in managing the day to day affairs of the club”.

According to the resolution, the committee has Asihiq Peerzada as the chairperson, Riyaz Masroor as coordinator, and Mehrajuddin, Azaan Javaid, Javed Dar, Syed Muzafar, Malik Saajid, Shabir Ahmad Mir, Shahnawaz Khan, and Mudasir Kaloo as executive members.

This came after various media bodies such as the Press Club of India, Mumbai Press Club, Editors Guild of India, Delhi Union of Journalists and several journalists condemned the "takeover" that took place on January 15 when a group of 11 journalists formed an “interim body” to replace the club’s last elected body. The Kashmir press club took cognisance of the condemnation in the resolution.