LUTON: National Press Club Islamabad and Pakistan Press Club UK have signed a landmark agreement under which members of PPC UK will receive all benefits and privileges (except the right to vote) which the members of NPC are enjoying in Pakistan.
National Press Club President Shakil Anjum and Pakistan Press Club UK’s newly-appointed President Arshad Rachyal signed this agreement at a dignified ceremony in United Kingdom’s Luton city. Besides office-bearers of the press club, other prominent personalities present at the ceremony were former president of PPCUK Mobeen Chaudhry, Manchester chapter president Majid Nazir , ARY’s Imran Khalid, National Press Club’s UK spokesman Shafqat Nazir Rana, Club officials Akram Abid, Musarrat Iqbal, Haseeb Arslan, Afzal Chaudhry and local political and social figures.
According to this agreement, members of the PPC UK will be the associate members of NPC Pakistan and likewise they will also be issued Nadra cards for journalists. Besides that, quota will be allocated to them in the housing schemes and new sectors in Islamabad.
Both the clubs will exchange delegations and benefit from each other’s experiences. On the occasion, President PPC UK Shakeel Anjum announced that endeavours will be made for the UK Press Club to become a member of the Council of Press Club. He revealed that he had got allotted 50 plots for the PPC UK members in Gulberg, a renowned housing scheme of Islamabad, at about 60 percent discount from the market rate. He said issues faced by the journalists residing in UK will be solved on priority basis. He added that press clubs from both the countries will form their coordination committees.
On this occasion, the incumbent President PPCUK Arshad Rachyal and former president Mobeen Chaudhry termed this MoU a historic agreement and thanked NPC President Shakeel Anjum. They said, in past, journalists working abroad were not given any benefits and facilities. That is why, they viewed the agreement a historic one. They assured their fullest support and cooperation to NPC President Shakeel Anjum and said members of the NPC visiting UK will be taken care like members of the PPC UK.
They further said that they will strive for educational scholarships for the NPC journalists. Former president Mubeen Ch said majority of the journalists in PPC UK had worked in Pakistan as well, so ties with clubs there will prove a source of satisfaction to them. He said more steps will be taken in collaboration with NPC Pakistan for the betterment of the journalist community.
