Lahore: In the elections of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Kazim Khan of Daily Dunya has been elected as President, while Ghulam Nabi Chandio of Daily Pak has been chosen as Secretary General. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, and others have congratulated the newly elected officials of CPNE.According to details, Ayaz Khan from the Express Group has been elected Senior Vice President, Tanveer Shaukat of Daily Ghareeb as Deputy Secretary General, Hamid Hussain Abidi as Finance Secretary, Zia Tanoli as Information Secretary, Qazi Asad Abid as Sindh Provincial President, and Munir Baloch as Balochistan Provincial President. Adnan Zafar and Mian Hassan Ahmed have been elected Vice Presidents, Yahya Saddozai as Vice President for Islamabad, and Tahir Farooq, Munazza Seham, Rafi Niazi, Arif Baloch, and Waqas Tariq Farooq as Joint Secretaries.Members elected to the Standing Committee include Dr. Jabbar K hattak, Maqsood Yousufi, Sher Muhammad Khawer, Sardar Siraj, Mudassir Iqbal, Muhammad Owais Razi, Shehzad Ameen, Irfan Athar, Shakeel Ahmed Turabi, Tazeen Akhtar, Anwar Sajdi, Mumtaz Ahmed Sadiq, Faqir Munthar Mangrio, Abdul Rehman Mangrio, Dr. Zubair Mehmood, Masood Khan, Fazl Haq, Zulfiqar Ahmed Rahat, Ali Ahmed Dhillon, Aamir Mehmood, Syed Intizar Hussain Zanjani, Aslam Mian, Hamza Ali Afghan, Ayaz Memon, Mudassir Alam, and Mahmood Alam Khalid, among others.CPNE President Kazim Khan expressed his commitment to defending the boundaries of journalism in Pakistan through verified and truthful reporting. He emphasized resistance against the misuse of the PECA Act and highlighted the need for the government to understand the difference between criticism and insult. He also stressed the importance of fair distribution of government advertisements.President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated all the newly elected CPNE officials, expressing hope that they would promote high journalistic standards in the country. H e emphasized the role of media in supporting democratic values and curbing fake news and misinformation. He acknowledged media's importance in educating the public on political, social, and economic issues.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended congratulations to Kazim Khan, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Ayaz Khan, and Tanveer Shaukat, stating his hope that the new leadership would continue to safeguard journalistic values and uphold high standards. He noted the significance of the CPNE elections coinciding with Press Freedom Day and expressed confidence that the leadership would effectively advocate for journalists' rights and press freedom.PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed the hope that the newly elected office bearers of the Council will continue to play their role in upholding high journalistic standards in Pakistan.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also congratulated the newly elected officials, emphasizing journalism as a vital pillar of the state and praising CPNE's role in promoting truthful reporting. He expressed support for CPNE's stance against the misuse of the PECA Act and called for fair allocation of advertisements and provision of basic facilities to journalists.Additionally, Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili, Secretary Sohail Afzal Khan, and the executive committee extended their congratulations to the new CPNE officials. They described CPNE as a 'beautiful bouquet' of distinguished journalists and writers and expressed their hopes that the elected leadership would live up to their responsibilities and the trust of their community.