RMNP President Chairs Oath-Taking Ceremony of Hatheji Press Club, Announces Expansion of Journalists Alliance
Strong focus on rural press strengthening; UNESCO digital training CDs distributed
Hatheji : President of Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP), Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, chaired the oath-taking ceremony of Hatheji Press Club Hatheji and administered oath to its newly elected office bearers on Saturday night. The event was attended by a large number of journalists, political, social, and business personalities.
The Chief Guest on the occasion was Malik Jehangir Warran Advocate, while Guests of Honour included Muhammad Suleman Farooqi (Coordinator RMNP Ahmedpur East) and Ijaz Ahmed Khan (Editor, Daily Nawa-i-Ahmedpur Sharqia). Among other attendees were Muhammad Sajjad (Incharge Office, Daily Nawa-i-Ahmedpur Sharqia) and Maaz Farooqi (Lecturer, Punjab College Ahmedpur East).
A view of the stage as Ehsan Ahmed Sehar chairs the oath-taking ceremony of Hatehji Press Club, Hatehji, with Chief Guest Malik Jehangir Warran and Guest of Honor Muhammad Suleman Farooqi seated alongside him.
Detailed Address by RMNP President
In his detailed address, Ehsan Ahmed Sehar emphasized that strengthening rural press clubs is the foremost priority of RMNP, as grassroots journalism plays a key role in highlighting public issues often ignored at higher levels.
He stated that RMNP, in collaboration with Daily Nawa-i-Ahmedpur Sharqia, has launched a joint initiative to strengthen rural press clubs through training, institutional development, and professional support, enabling journalists in remote areas to work effectively and responsibly.
Highlighting a major development, he referred to the formation of the Journalists Alliance in October 2025, comprising 15 press clubs from Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, and Rahim Yar Khan districts, terming it a significant step toward unity among rural journalists.
He announced that a new body of the Journalists Alliance will be formed in May, along with a new expansion strategy to include tehsil and district-level press clubs, further strengthening the network.
Mr. Sehar also revealed that coordination with press clubs of interior Sindh is under discussion and expected to be finalized in May 2026, aiming to expand the alliance at a broader level.
He urged journalists to avoid yellow journalism and adhere to professional ethics, stressing the importance of fact-based reporting of local issues. He advised journalists to cover risky assignments collectively to ensure their safety.
He further announced that RMNP will organize digital journalism and safety training programs for members of press clubs associated with the Journalists Alliance.
Referring to legal awareness, he called upon journalists to sensitize themselves regarding amendments in the PECA Act, directing them to download its Urdu version from Daily Nawa-i-Ahmedpur Sharqia and the English version from the RMNP website.
He also paid tribute to Syed Liaquat Ali Rizvi, Patron-in-Chief of Hatheji Press Club, for his continuous struggle for press freedom.
UNESCO Digital Material Distributed
A key highlight of the ceremony was the distribution of UNESCO-prepared digital training material CDs among 21 members of Hatheji Press Club. The distribution was carried out with the participation of Chief Guest Malik Jehangir Warran on behalf of RMNP.
Conclusion
The chief guest and guests of honour congratulated the newly elected office bearers and expressed confidence in their role for promoting responsible journalism. The ceremony concluded with a dinner hosted by Hatheji Press Club in honour of the guests.
Newly Elected Office Bearers
- Malik A.D. Lang — President
- Muhammad Saleem Dhool — General Secretary
- Rais Muhammad Irfan — Finance Secretary
- Syed Liaquat Ali — Patron-in-Chief
- Muhammad Jameel Dhool — Chairman Press Club
- Abdul Majeed Bhatta — Information Secretary
- Imtiaz Khan — Joint Secretary
- Iqbal Ghallu — Chairman Governing Body
- Muhammad Qasim — Vice President
- Maulana Ahmed — Vice President
- Sami Ullah — Senior Vice President
- Muhammad Tariq — Deputy General Secretary
Governing Body Members: Malik Abu Bakar Rongha, Sohail Khan Baloch, Maki Sethar, Nazar Hussain Hassam, Malik Abdul Rehman Soomro, Malik Khalil Ahmed Noonari, Malik Nazim Daunaj and others.
