Like other trade unions, formed for mutual protection and economic betterment The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists desires and encourages its members to maintain good quality of workmanship and high standard of conduct.

A member of the Union has two claims on his loyalty, one by his Union and one by his employer. These need not clash so long as the employer complies with the agreed Union conditions and makes no demand for forms of service incompatible with the honor of the profession or with the principles of-trade unionism.

1. A member should do nothing that would bring discredit on himself, his Union, his newspaper, or his profession. He should study the rules of his Union, and should not, by commission or omission, act against the interests of the Union.
2. Whether publication or suppression, the acceptance of a bribe by a journalist is one of the gravest professional offences.
3. Every journalist should treat subordinates as considerately as he would desire to be treated by his superiors.
4. Freedom in the honest collection and publication of news facts and the rights of fair comment and criticism, are principles, which every journalist should defend.
5. Unless the employer consents to a variation, a member who wishes to terminate his employment must give notice according to agreement.
6. No member should seek promotion or seek to obtain the position of another journalist by unfair methods. A member should not directly or indirectly, attempt to obtain for himself or any one else, any commission, regular or occasional held by a freelance member of the Union.
7. It is unprofessional conduct to exploit the labor of another journalist by plagiarism, or by using his copy for linage purposes without permission.
8. Staff men who do linage work should be prepared to give up such work to conform with any pooling scheme approved by the FEC or any Union plan to provide a freelance member with a means of earning a living.
9. A member holding a staff appointment shall serve first the paper that employees him. In his own time a member is free to engage in other creative work, but he should not undertake any extra work in his rest time or holidays, if by so doing he is depriving an out of work member of a chance to obtain employment. Any misuse of rest days won by the Union on the sound argument that periods of recuperation are needed after strenuous hours of labor is damaging to trade unions aims for a shorter working week.
10. While a spirit of willingness to help other members should be encouraged at all times, members are under a special obligation of honor to help an unemployed member to obtain work.
11. A journalist should fully realize his personal responsibility for every thing he sends to his paper or agency. He should keep Union and professional secrets and respect all necessary confidences regarding sources and information and private documents. He should not falsity information or documents, or distort of misrepresent facts.
12. In obtaining news or pictures, reporters and Press photographers should do nothing that will cause pain or humiliation to innocent, bereaved, or otherwise distressed persons. News pictures end documents should be acquired by honest methods only.
13. Every journalist should keep in mind the danger in the laws of libel, contempt of court and copyright. In reports of law court preceding it is necessary to observe and practice the rule of fair play to parties.

Note:- This Constitution was adopted at the Pakistan Working Journalists Convention, which was held in Karachi from April 23 to April 30, 1950. Delegates of the Sindh Union of Journalists and the Punjab Union of Journalists attended the convention, which was opened by Chaudhry Zaffarullah Khan, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister. The Frontier Union of Journalists, which could not send a delegate in time declared its readiness to accept the constitution adopted at the Convention. The inauguration of the Convention, which was attended by observers from the Delhi Union of Journalists and many distinguished visitors, including Ministers and members of the Diplomatic Corps was filmed.

Messrs M.A. Shakoor (President, SUJ), Israr Ahmad, (Genera! Secretary), Tufail Ahmad Jamali (Senior Vice President) and Ashkar Hussain Khawaja attended the Convention as the sub delegates Messrs S.H. Lewis (President, PUJ) Muhammad Shafi (General Secretary) and Ghayural Islam attended as delegates, or the PUJ. Fourth delegates of the PUJ could not be present.

Mr. S.R. Lewis was elected Chairman of the Convention and Mr. Israr Ahmad Secretary.

At five consecutive sittings of the Convention, the draft constitution was discussed in detail, article-by-article and passed after making certain amendments here and there.

The draft constitution was draw up by small subcommittee appointed by the SUJ Executive Council and was adopted after necessary amendment by the SUJ Executive Council. Copies of this final draft were sent in advance to the PUJ and the FUJ. This Constitution, in Appendix A, Rule 1, provides that the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists shall come into existence on the day this Constitution is ratified by two provincial Unions as they exist now. The Sindh Union of Journalists, at its Annual General Meeting held on Way 7, 1950 ratified the Constitution. The Frontier Union of Journalists ratified the Constitution on August 2, 1950.

Thus, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists formally came into existence on August 2, 1950. Subsequently, the Punjab Union of Journalists ratified it on August 24, 1950.

The Constitution of the Federal Union of Journalists was amended at the Annual Debates Meeting held respectively on February 16, 1952 at Lahore, October 12, 1953 at Karachi and October 24, 1957, at Dacca. And again at the Biennial Delegates Meetings held respectively in 1973 at Karachi, 1975 at Lahore and 1985 at Lahore. The Constitution was last amended during the Biennial Delegates Meetings held in Lahore in March, 2007.

In 2007, the Biennual Delegates Meetings amended Rule 4, Article V, Rule 1 (a), Article V, Rule 2, Article XVI, Rule 1, (a), Article XVI, Rule 1 (b), Article XVI, Rule 4,

REPORT OF THE ELECTION RULES COMMITTEE AS APPROVED BY THE ANNUAL DELEGATES MEETING OCTOBER 22, 1963.

AS AMENDED BY THE BDM AT KARACHI IN 1973.

The Federal Executive Council of the PFUJ appointed on October 20, 1963, a sub-committee to frame rules under which elections to the PFUJ would be held. Article VI of the PFUJ constitution relates to the Annual Delegates Meeting. But rules for the conducting of the elections have been found necessary and the sub-committee has framed them keeping in view the practical difficulties that arise because of the distance involved when elections to the P.F.U.J are held.
The sub-committee has framed the following rules, which would be known as “Election Rules.

ELECTION SCHEDULE

1. The schedule for elections of the PFUJ shall be announced at least 14 dear days before the receipt of nomination papers and at least thirty-five days before the day of polling.
2. The nomination papers shall be received till 24.00 hours (midnight) of the day fixed for receiving nomination papers.
3. The Election Committee shall send certified copies of the list of candidates to the General Secretaries of- the affiliated Unions on the following day. The list will also be released to the Press on the said following day.
4. The scrutiny of nomination papers shall be completed not later than six days after the day fixed for the receipt of nomination paper and the list of the candidates as obtaining after the said scrutiny shall be sent to the General Secretaries of the affiliated Unions and released to the Press within 24 hours of the completion of the scrutiny.
5. Representations against the decisions of the Election Committee shall be received by the Chairman of the said Committee up to six days after the completion of scrutiny and, the final decisions thereon shall be released to the Press not later than eight days after the completion of the scrutiny.
6. Withdrawal of nomination papers shall be valid until 24.00 hours of the first day of the session of the Biennial Delegates Meeting of the PFUJ provided that there are not less than seven clear days between announcement of disposal of representations (Rule 5) and the first day of the session of the Biennial Delegates Meeting.
7. The final list of candidates shall be announced on the morning following the day fixed for withdrawal end polling, if necessary, shall be held during the last sitting of the Biennial Delegates Meeting. The sitting in which elections are held shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Election Committee or, in his absence by a member of the Election Committee present, in the order in which the names of members are mentioned in the resolution of the appointment of the Election Committee.
8. Counting of votes shall be done immediately after the case of polling and candidates or their nominees (not more than one for each candidate) shall have the right to be present during the counting of votes.
9. The presiding officer shall make announcement of the result of the election after the conclusion of the counting of votes.

NOMINATION

10. Any member of the PFUJ is eligible to contest elections to any office or for the membership of the Federal Executive Council provided he/she was member of the PFUJ on the 31st of December of the year preceding the day of filing of nomination papers, has  duly been proposed by another such member and seconded by a third such member and is not otherwise debarred from seeking election under the constitution of the PFUJ.
11. A member or chairman of the election committee is not eligible to contest election to any office or for membership of the FEC of the PFUJ or to propose or second a nomination, during the period he is on the Election Committee.
12. All nominations shall be on the prescribed forms.
13. A member may contest election for only one office, including membership of the FEC, but shall not propose or second another candidate for the same office, provided that in the case of memberships of the FEC, a candidate for that office shall be entitled to propose or second as many parallel nominations to membership of the FEC as there exist vacancies for that office. Where this rule, in the opinion of the Election Committee, has been violated, it shall hold all nomination papers so affected as invalid.
14. No member shall propose or second the name of more then one person for any office of the PFUJ including membership of the FEC, unless the Constitution provided for more than one seat for that office, in which case he may propose or second as many candidates as there are seats.
15. A nomination paper shall be rejected and declared as invalid unless it has the signature of the proposer and the seconder along-with the consent of the candidate contesting.
16. No withdrawal of a candidate shall be valid unless it is in writing and bears the signature of the candidate.

ELECTION COMMITTEE

17. The Federal Executive Council shall appoint an Election Committee not less then six months before every Biennial Delegates Meeting consisting of not less than three and not more than five members of the PFUJ one of whom shall be designated Chairman, to hold the annual election and bye-election of the PFUJ. The tenure of a meeting of the committee consists of more then three.
18. The tenure of the Election Committee shall be two years from the date of appointment or until the date of appointment of another Election Committee for the succeeding two years, whichever is later.
19. Members of the Committee may be re-elected, but shall not be so elected for more then two terms in succession.
20. Member of the election committee whether of the federal or affiliated union shall not contest election to be conducted by him nor shall a member of the Committee propose or second nomination papers of candidates.
21. The election Committee shall be responsible for maintaining and preserving the election and polling records till sixty days after the announcement of the results of the election.
22. All decisions of the Election Committee shall be by its majority and in case of a tie, the Chairman shall have a casting vote and shall exercise it.
23. The secretary-general shall supply to the Chairman of the Election Committee, the list of members of the PFUJ as on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, if possible with their specimen signatures, at least three days before the last date fixed for the receipt of nomination papers and certified list of voters (delegates meeting) at least two days before the day of polling.
24. If the Election Committee consists of five members and if one or two of them resign, or otherwise cease to remain members of the Committee, the remaining member may co-opt to fill the vacancies. If it consists of five members and more then two members resign or otherwise cease to remain members of the Committee, or if it consists of three members, and one, or more, of its members resign, or otherwise cease to remain members of the Committee, the Federal Executive Council shall fill the vacancies.

ELECTION BY LAWS
The Biannual Delegates Meetings, held in Lahore on March 10, 11 and 12, 2007 put Elections By-laws made and approved by the FEC in Faislabad, in 2006, as part of the Constitution.

PFUJ ELECTION BY-LAWS:

(1) All Ujs must constitute the Election Committee in its first meeting, which will continue till the next elections (as per PFUJ Constitution). Incase the entire committee resigned the Executive Committee can constitute another election committee to hold the elections within three weeks.
(2) All Ujs must complete their process of new membership (if any) or scruitny (if required) by October 30, every year. No fresh membership will be allowed or acceptable after the said date. This is very important as often the sitting Executive Councils were accused of giving new memberships just before the elections and often violate the rules and regulations.
(3) The Ujs should sent the initial list of their members to the PFUJ Secretary General by November 5, so that there will be no inclusion of any fresh name in the list. The list should also be put on display on the Uj’s Notice Board as well as on the Notice Board of the respective Press Clubs (if possible).
(4) The Ujs will collect the dues from their members and complete the process by November 30. The final voter list should be sent to the PFUJ Secretary General by December 2, who will sent the same to the Chairman Election Committee of the respective Ujs by January 5, with his signatures must be handed over to the election committee by January 5.
For the BDM, the Ujs General Secretary must sent the cross-cheque of the subverntion money alongwith the final voter’s list, without which the Ujs will not qualify for the BDM. Names of the defaulters will not appear in the final list.
(5) PFUJ can ask the election committee to withheld the election results if any Uj failed to clear the subverntion.
(6) PFUJ Secretary General in consultation with the President will constitute the Election Tribunal, comprising three members to hear the post election complaints and can decide the matter including re-election within seven days, if in its opinion irregularties have been committed in the election process or during the polling.
(7) Appeal against the tribunal can be sen to the FEC, which will have the power to over rule or upheld the decision of the tribunal.
(8) During the polling the members must have PFUJ card or dues receipts with him or her at the time of the polling.
(9) Election Committee can not make any changes or relax the rules or by-laws.
(10) Chairman of the Election Committee must sent the initial report of the election to the Secretary General and the record within three months.
(11) No PFUJ office-bearer, FEC member or office-bearer or Executive Committee member will be the member of the Election Committee.