RISJA elects new office-bearers to boost sports journalism in twin cities

The Rawalpindi Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA) held its General Council meeting on Thursday at the Pakistan Sports Complex and unanimously elected its new office-bearers for the upcoming term.

In a spirit of unity and consensus, Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai of Geo News was elected Chairman, while Faisal Sahi from Public News took over as President.

The meeting was attended by sports journalists from leading national media outlets, underscoring the strong presence and collaboration within the journalistic community of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Veteran sports journalist Muhammad Shafique Raja of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) was chosen as Senior Vice President. Naveed Khokhar (Roze News) and Ambreen Ali (NewsOne) were appointed as Vice Presidents, ensuring gender diversity and wide media representation.

The role of Secretary went to Arif Khan from K2 TV, while Husnain Liaqat of ABN News was named Finance Secretary. PTV News’ Ahmer Najeeb Satti was appointed Information Secretary to handle communications and media outreach.

The Executive Committee will be headed by Mohsin Ijaz of ARY News. Other committee members include Usman Khan (Daily Peak-Point), Javed Khan (Radio Pakistan), Nisaar Khan (Daily Times), Allah Noor Wazir (Mashriq TV), and Wafa Abbas (Such News).

The new body pledged to work collectively for the welfare, training, and rights of sports journalists, and to foster stronger ties with national sports federations. It also vowed to highlight emerging athletes and underrepresented sports through comprehensive and inclusive coverage.

Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar extended congratulations to the newly elected office-bearers. In his statement, he praised RISJA as an active and dynamic platform playing a vital role in not just promoting sports journalism but also highlighting issues in the sports world while upholding journalistic integrity.

"Sports journalism plays a vital role in promoting positive social activities and guiding our youth," said the minister. He expressed hope that the new leadership would lead to further growth and professionalism in the field.

The outgoing RISJA president, Mohsin Ali, also congratulated the new office-bearers and ensured his all-out support for the new body as well as the community in the future.