ASJF Statute

Article 1: Name
In Afghanistan, the Sports Journalists Federation shall be known as the "Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation" (ASJF), operating under the umbrella of the International Sports Journalists Federation (AIPS) and in accordance with all democratic laws in Afghanistan.

Article 2: Introduction
The Sports Journalists Federation is composed of provincial sports journalists, writers' associations, and other
second-class member unions existing in Kabul and other provinces. Each association remains independent in
its own entity.

Article 3: Objectives
The objectives of the Federation are as follows:
To bring professional sports associations and journalists under one umbrella organisation.
To assist in establishing foundations in areas of the country where sports journalists' foundations do not exist.
To strengthen and recognise the authority and autonomy of member associations.
To strive for the preservation of the legitimate rights of the associations' general president, enhancement of
professional capacity, and creation of a safe working environment.
To establish strong and close relations between member associations and sports institutions so that parallel
and fake sports institutions are eliminated.
To strengthen the spirit of play among sports journalists nationwide and promote the concept of neutrality in
sports journalism and reporting.
To assist institutions working for the development and promotion of sports nationwide, and encourage them
to provide facilities for the professionalism of sports media.
To collect and disseminate information among members and share opinions and decisions with other
institutions.
To publish topics bimonthly for official publications and distribution, and publish them through the official
website, so that all members are informed of activities.
3.1 The Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation treats all its members without discrimination based on
region, gender, religion, or political ideology, and eliminates all forms of discrimination. It bases all its activities
on professionalism, competence, and the right to work; it prioritizes members and associations without
considering affiliations.

Article 4: Centre, Headquarters, and Applicable Law
4.1 The central office of the Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation is in Kabul. The administrative
branch of the Federation is located in the office of the President or the Head of the Secretariat. If the
President and Secretary General are in two separate locations; it shall be established based on the
final decision of the Executive Committee.
4.2 The Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation bears full responsibility for the obligations of the
Federation, excluding the personal legal responsibilities of members, associations, and employees.

Article 5: Official Languages
5.1 The official languages of the Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation are Pashto, Dari, and
English.

Second Chapter
Article 6: Membership
6.1 Member Associations
Member associations of the Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation are
exclusively provincial associations and united groups.
Associations are granted membership only by the General Assembly (Congress) or
the President based on a special decree before the convening of the General
Assembly, and are confirmed in the General Assembly.
Associations of journalists, referred to as "members" in the law of the Afghanistan
Sports Journalists Federation, are recognized only as one individual per branch and
province as a representative.
Provincial associations or united groups operate in the field of professional sports
journalism, such as print or electronic media, and professional sports photography.
6.2 Individual Members
The President of the Federation grants individual membership to sports journalists
and photographers in areas where provincial associations and united groups do not
exist.
6.3 Honorary Members (Privileged Members)
The Afghanistan Sports Journalists Federation grants honorary membership to
persons who have significant achievements in the field of sports journalism at the
national and global levels.
Honorary membership is proposed by the Executive Committee and approved by the
General Assembly (Congress). The benefits of honorary membership are as follows:
Honorary Chairman for life
Honorary member for life
Honorary Chairman/Member for life is invited as an advisor to the General Assembly
(Congress) or Executive Committee meetings upon invitation by the Executive
Committee. If such a member wishes to be a candidate in future elections, they are
removed from their honorary membership.
6.4 Second-Class Members
The Federation grants second-class membership to heads of media departments of
sports institutions, employees, and similar persons. They may attend General
Assemblies upon invitation, but do not have the right to vote.

Third Chapter
General Assembly (Congress)

Article 7: Ordinary General Assembly

The General Assembly (General Congress) is the highest executive and decision-making authority
of the Federation.
7.1: The Ordinary General Assembly is held annually. If not held annually, it must be held at least
once every five years, and all members are notified three months before the assembly.
In the General Assembly, one appointed member from each provincial association participates
officially. Apart from appointed representatives, other members may participate but have no
voting rights.
If a provincial association cannot appoint a representative for the General Assembly, the Executive
Committee of the Federation appoints one representative.
7.2: Membership fees and all financial matters related to members must be settled before the
General Assembly. The date of the General Assembly must be announced at least three months in
advance.
7.3: The General Assembly has the authority to amend all articles of the statute except Article
12(3b) of the Fifth Chapter.
7.4: The date of the next General Assembly is determined during the General Assembly, and if
possible, the venue is also specified.
7.5: All full member provincial associations and groups must submit their representatives' forms
to the central office at least two months in advance. Changes require the President's permission;
without permission, participants are deprived of voting rights.
Article 8: Extraordinary General Assembly
In extraordinary circumstances, an Extraordinary General Assembly is convened by the Presidency
upon the proposal of the Executive Committee or at the request of the majority of members.
At least fifteen (15) days' notice must be given to all member associations for convening an
Extraordinary General Assembly. At the time of notification, information regarding the agenda is
provided to member associations. No topic other than the relevant subject is discussed or included
in the agenda.

Fourth Chapter
Financial Affairs

Article 9: Membership Fee

Each full or associate member of the association is obliged to pay an annual fee of 500 Afghanis.
Journalists wishing to obtain an AIPS card must pay a fee of 40 USD every two years. Provincial
sports journalists' associations must pay an annual fee of 2500 Afghanis. Membership fees and other
relevant payments are paid annually before the start of the General Assembly after its approval.
Article 10: Financial Affairs, Auditing, and Financial Commission
10.1: Under the supervision of the Executive Committee and appointed to the Financial
Commission, the Treasurer is responsible for overseeing and managing the financial section of the
Federation and is also responsible for the completeness and maintenance of financial reports
periodically.
10.2: The Treasurer must regularly inspect the central office or stay in contact to perform their
duties. They request monthly financial reports from the Secretary for their evaluation and
quarterly financial reports for Executive Committee members.

10.3: The Financial and Investigation Department is appointed by the Executive Committee, including
the Treasurer and two other members of the Federation. Based on auditors under Article 11, the
Auditing and Financial Commission oversees the financial section of the Federation.
10.4: The President or two Vice Presidents have the authority and responsibility for signing all types
of financial commitments. In all cases, the signature of the President or two Vice Presidents is
necessary for executing any financial affairs of the Federation.
The financial year of the Federation is from January 1 to December 31.

Article 11: External Audit
Auditors must be from an auditing company. Auditors are appointed annually by the Executive
Committee. The auditors' task is to audit the Federation's annual accounts. The auditor must submit
their report to the General Assembly one month prior, based on the Federation's documents.

Fifth Chapter
Structure Administrative Affairs of the Federation

Article 12: Executive Committee and Regional Office
The administrative members of the Federation are as follows:
President
Executive Director
Regional Office
Commissions
Secretary General
Executive Committee
12.1: The Executive Committee consists of the following members:
President
First Vice President
Executive Director
Three, Deputy Directors
Secretary General
Finance Secretary
Information secretaries
17 Elected Members of the Executive Committee.

12.2a: The General Assembly elects the President of the Afghanistan Sports Journalists for a five-
year term and confirms other Executive Committee members for a two-year term. The President

and all members of the Executive Committee are elected by majority vote of the General
Assembly.
12.2b: The Secretary General, Treasurer, and Deputies are confirmed by the General Assembly.
12.3a: Only members of full member associations can nominate themselves for elections. Member
associations can nominate only one member, but not for more than two positions in the Executive
Committee.
12.3b: Presidential Candidates: Any eligible ASJF member may nominate for the position of
President without any administrative fee.
Executive Committee Candidates: Any eligible ASJF member may nominate for the Executive
Committee without any administrative fee.

Article 13: ASJF Governance Framework (Under Statutes Authority)
13a: President
Leads ASJF overall and especially internationally and represents the Federation abroad.
Chairs the International Board, which includes exiled and international members.
Supported by a Vice President for International Affairs.
13b: Executive Committee Chairman
Holds equal authority to the President within Afghanistan.
Chairs ASJF's domestic operations, overseeing all internal activities.
Supported by a first deputy, an Administrative Deputy, a Technical Deputy, and all Executive
Committee members.
13c: Executive Committee Members
Support both the President (international) and Executive Committee Chairman (domestic) in
executing ASJF programs and decisions.
13d: International Board (Exiled Members)
Chaired by the President.
Ensures representation and participation of exiled journalists in ASJF governance.

Note: This governance framework functions under the authority and compliance of the ASJF Statutes, ensuring all internal and international leadership activities are fully aligned with the Federation’s legal and ethical framework under the president of ASJF, but only internally, and until the solution of Afghanistan's current situation, the executive director will chair the ASJF inside Afghanistan.

Article 14: Conditions for Candidacy
14a: Candidates for leadership must be professional sports journalists/writers with two years of membership in a provincial association and holding an AIPS card for two terms. Nomination is personal and individual, but only provincial associations have the right to nominate candidates for the Executive
Committee.
14b: An elected member of the Executive Committee can be nominated for re-election only if endorsed by provincial associations and groups.
14c: If an association or group fails to nominate a candidate for two terms, and the President/Secretary If the individual cannot make the final decision, the individual member has the right to submit nominations directly to
the Federation. In this specific case, Article 12.3 does not apply. Other nomination conditions remain valid.
14d: The President is the sole person to resolve issues cautiously, announce final decisions, and seek opinions from other members.
14e: The President has the right to participate in future elections. If they have a reputation for
performing duties during their presidency and are not nominated by the relevant association for any reason, they may run for any position in the elections.
The Executive Committee, specifically the President and Head of the Secretariat, has the authority to suspend any member's membership if it harms the Federation's status, in accordance with legal provisions.
14.1: Each elected member of the Committee represents the Federation independently and
individually. They perform their duties without a salary. Provincial federations are responsible for covering the expenses of their representatives serving on the Executive Committee.
14.2: The Federation is not responsible for members' travel expenses. The Federation may cover travel expenses to meetings for an elected member in exceptional cases if financially assisted by the
Committee.
14.3: If the First Vice President cannot continue their duties for any reason, they must be replaced by the President, and another Vice President temporarily assumes their duties. The President will announce the specific period for electing a new Vice President.
14.4: If the Treasurer cannot continue their duties for any reason, the President must temporarily assume the Treasurer's responsibilities. A new Treasurer will be announced by the President.
14.5: If a member of the Executive Committee fails to attend three consecutive official meetings (General, Executive, Office Meeting) without valid reasons, the Executive Committee discusses and decides, and the member loses their membership. A new candidate is elected through elections.

Article 15: Regional Office
The Regional Office consists of the President, Executive Director, and their Deputy. Members of the Regional Office (President, Treasurer, Secretary) must review the administrative structure and progress every six months, resolve existing problems, stay in contact, and advance the Federation's work.

Article 16: Commissions
Sports journalists specialising in a specific field will be placed in relevant commissions. These
commissions work to achieve the Federation's objectives and cooperate with supporting
Organisations such as ANOC, ACB, AFF, etc.
To ensure compliance with principles and regulations, it is essential to review the Federation's statute and laws.

Article 17: Head of the Secretariat
17.1: The Head of the Secretariat is responsible for secretariat affairs and reports to the President and General Assembly. Their location and residence must not affect their duties.
17.2: The Head of the Secretariat must be proposed by the President of the Federation and confirmed by the General Assembly.
17.3: If the Head of the Secretariat cannot perform their duties, a new Head of the Secretariat will be elected at the next Executive Committee meeting.

Article 18: Authorised Delegation
18.1: The Executive Committee must be accountable to the General Assembly and operate according to laws and regulations. The Executive Committee is a competent committee that conducts all affairs of
the Federation.
18.2: The Executive Committee must hold at least one meeting with the General Assembly per year.
18.3: During meetings, the Executive Committee must advance the Federation's affairs through administrative delegations (bureaus).
18.4: The Executive Committee may appoint a Marketing Officer to advance marketing affairs.

Sixth Chapter

Article 19: Quorum – Voting – Elections
19.1: Article Quorum
The quorum for General Assemblies must be the absolute majority of the Federation's official
delegations, confirmed and present by the President.
19.2: Proxy voting is acceptable in Congress and Executive Committee sessions.
19.3: Decisions of the General Assembly are based on the majority vote of present members.
Executive Committee meetings are based on the majority of members, and decisions are made by the majority of present members. In case of a tie, the President's vote is decisive.

Article 20: Voting 
20.1: All provincial association members who have paid their membership fee within the specified period have one vote.
20.2: Honorary members and other observer members do not have voting rights; they may only express their opinions in the assembly.
20.3: Each member of the Executive Committee must refrain from voting during the General Assembly unless they are the sole representative of a provincial association.
20.4: Except for elections, other votes are cast by show of hands. If five members propose a secret ballot, voting is conducted secretly.

Article 21: Elections
21.1: Voting must be secret during elections.
21.2: For the election of Executive Committee members, an absolute majority quorum is
required in the first round. In the second round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated from the list.
21.3: Candidates who receive a majority vote in the first round are elected as members of the
Executive Committee. If votes are tied between candidates, a re-vote is held. If a candidate
receives more votes than available in the list, the excess votes are not counted and are deducted from the candidate's votes.
21.4: If only one candidate remains for a position after the nomination process, the candidate is declared elected without voting.
21.5: The host of the General Assembly will chair the Electoral Commission, and another
member will nominate candidates. The final decision on their candidacy is made by the President and Executive Committee.

Article 22: Resignation, Suspension, or Expulsion
22.1: Administrative staff and members may resign at any time and must clarify that they have no major responsibilities toward the Federation at the time of resignation.
22.2: The resignation letter is signed by the President or Secretary General and presented to the next General Assembly.

Article 23: Suspension of Duties
23.1: The membership and duties of a member or employee may be suspended upon the
proposal of the President or by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Reasons for suspension:
a) Failure to fulfill responsibilities to the Federation.
b) Non-payment of annual fee.
c) Disregard for the law, non-compliance with relevant affairs, or attempts to sabotage the
Federation or confuse public opinion.
23.2: A suspended association member may propose to the Executive Committee delegation the lifting of the suspension and correction of the relevant part. If the Executive Committee finds the issue resolved, it may propose reinstatement of membership in another meeting.
23.3: For consultation on any issue, a Monitoring Committee must be formed with a Chair and four members. The Chair or Deputy may announce the committee's decision.
23.4: If any member, provincial association, office employee, or affiliated group is found working against the Federation, the matter must be referred to the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, who will send a notice to the concerned person within three days. A response must be received within fifteen days. The response is submitted to the Executive Committee; if unsatisfactory, the suspension of the member or employee may continue until the next meeting or General Assembly.

Article 24: Expulsion or Dismissal
A member is expelled by a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly, and their membership is revoked.
Reasons:
a) Rejection of any responsibility to the Federation and misleading public opinion against the
Federation.
b) Non-payment of annual fee.
c) Disregard for the law or non-compliance with relevant laws.
d) Participation in parallel entities, fake sports associations, federations, and units as a
representative of the president, or attempts to sabotage Federation officials or undermine the
Federation's prestige.

Seventh Chapter
Special Articles

Article 25: Statute
The Statute becomes effective after approval by the General Assembly. No amendment, addition, or repeal of any articles in the Statute is executed without a decision of the General Assembly.

Article 26: Authority
26.1: The authority to resolve any dispute lies with the President, derived from this statute or
mentioned laws. The President consults with the Executive Committee or General Assembly before the final decision.
26.2: Continuity of Leadership in Emergency Situations. In cases where elections cannot be held due to natural disasters, armed conflict, political restrictions, or any other extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the Federation, the current Executive Committee and elected officials shall continue to serve in their positions until such time that free and fair elections can be organised.
During this emergency period, no authority, power, or mandate shall be transferred to any other body, group, or individual without a formal election conducted under the ASJF Statutes.
Once the situation allows, the Executive Committee shall convene an extraordinary General Assembly to organize elections at the earliest possible opportunity, in compliance with the ASJF Constitution and democratic principles.

Article 27: Amendment of the Law
27.1: The law can only be amended by the General Assembly.
27.2: The authority to propose any amendment belongs to the Statute Committee. This committee consists of the President and four members appointed in consultation with the President and Vice President. All proposed amendments must be approved by the Executive Committee and submitted
to the majority vote of the Assembly.

Article 28: Dissolution and Emergency State
28.1: Dissolution of the Federation requires a 75% vote of all foundations in the General Assembly. A temporary committee of five or more members must hold new elections.
28.2: If the appointment of the Executive Committee is impossible under the law or other regulations, the previous committee continues its duties.

Article 29: Protection of Members' Rights
29.1: Any dispute arising from the implementation or interpretation of existing laws or other
regulations, particularly, shall be referred to the competent committee and resolved according to the Federation's statute.
29.2: The competent committee must have one President and two members appointed by the
President or Vice President.

Eighth Chapter

Article 30: Transitional Provisions
This Statute is effective after approval by the General Assembly.

Article 31: Final Provisions
The Federation shall not engage in any discussion or voting that affects the freedom or
autonomy of foundations. Relevant foundations shall have full freedom and authority over the activities of member foundations, provided Articles 12.3(c) and (d) are considered.

The Federation's Statute, Laws, and Clauses

Clause 1: Membership
Membership is granted under the following conditions:
1.1 Members: a) Provincial sports journalists' associations and similar units professionally writing for electronic media, sports journalists and commentators on radio and television, sports photographers, freelance sports journalists, and those regularly broadcasting. A relevant association/unit is accepted only if its journalists comply with the Federation's laws. Only one qualified association/unit per province may work with the Federation.
b) Independent or individual members in areas where no sports journalists' association
exists or who wish to obtain individual membership.
1.2: Federation members may provide this statute to media relations officers of sports
institutions, e.g., the Afghanistan Olympic Committee, Afghanistan Cricket Board, Football Federation, and any institution deemed eligible.
1.3 Honorary Members:
All regulations regarding honorary members are outlined in Article 6.3 of Chapter Two.
1.4 New Members:
New membership applications must be reviewed in good faith by the Secretary General, who informs the President.
1.4.2: All applications and documents must be submitted to the Federation Secretary at
least three months before the General Assembly, including the names of Federation officials, list of Executive Committee members, and a written commitment from the provincial
federation to pay annual fees.
1.4.3: Provincial federations whose membership is accepted in Congress may exercise their
vote. Congress is held at least once every two years, where all Federation members and
provincial associations can participate. Every five years, Congress elects the President for a
five-year term and the Executive Committee for a two-year term.
Provincial members and associations must send their representatives to the General
Assembly at their own expense. Persons not members of provincial federations and
nominated for the Executive Committee must participate in Congress at their own expense.
Each member association must complete membership forms correctly, officially stamped
and signed by the provincial federation, to vote in Congress.

Clause 2: Future Congress
2.3: Congress must be held on the date and in the province decided in the previous Congress.
Priority is given to the host association's decision on venue and date, but the Executive Committee makes necessary decisions in exceptional cases. Only Executive Committee members and member associations can submit proposals for future activities and agendas to Congress. All proposals, nomination forms, and activity proposals must be submitted to the Secretariat twenty days before Congress. If documents are not received twenty days prior, they are not discussed or accepted in Congress.
2.4: The Congress agenda, President’s report, Head of Secretariat and Financial Secretary’s
reports, motions, Executive Committee proposals, member association proposals, and the list of candidates for the Executive Committee must be sent to provincial associations at least two weeks before Congress.
2.5: The Congress agenda includes but is not limited to: approval of previous Congress decisions, confirmation of reports from the President, Head of Secretariat, Financial Secretary, and commissions, budget approval, approval of new member associations, approval of proposals submitted by the Executive Committee, and determination of the venue for the next Congress. No topic, proposal, or request not complying with Article 2.3 conditions or pre-approved by the Executive Committee shall be discussed.
2.6: A member of one provincial association cannot vote on behalf of another member
association.
2.7: Executive Committee members may vote only if they are the sole member of a provincial
association, provided it does not conflict with Articles 12.3(c) and (d).
Clause 3: Convening Meetings
a) Presidency The President must chair all Congress, Extraordinary Congress, and Executive Committee meetings. If absent, unwell, or unprepared, the Vice President chairs.
b) All requests, documents, topics for discussion, or amendment proposals from members and associations must be approved by the President and presented to Congress as a proposal by the Congress Committee. After the President's approval, all documents are distributed to Congress members and put to vote in the final session.
c) All decisions of Congress and the Executive Committee must be communicated to Congress
members by the Head of Secretariat of the Afghanistan Sports Journalists. No changes to Congress decisions are allowed unless a written request for modification is submitted to the Secretariat and processed within two months.
Clause 4: Commission Regulations
4.1: Introduction: A commission is a joint working group of professional journalists in a specific
field (Federation Law Chapter V, Article 12.7).
All commissions (e.g., Legal Commission, Awards Committee, Welfare Commission, Fundraising
Commission, Media Commission, Photographers Commission, Financial Commission, Cricket
Commission, Football Commission, Olympic Commission, Physical Education Commission,
Women's Commission) are responsible under the ASJF law for communicating with sports
federations/institutions regarding various sports and sponsors, reporting to the Federation.
E.g., the Media Commission must negotiate with sports institutions to provide all necessary
media facilities during sports events and coordinate professionally with the media. The Media Commission must propose candidates to the Executive Committee for major competitions.

4.2: Commissions are part of ASJF's core, operating after Executive Committee decisions. Commission
members are appointed by the President and begin work after Executive Committee confirmation. Only
member associations may nominate candidates.
4.3: Each commission must have at least three and at most nine members, including a Head and Deputy.
If a full commission cannot be formed, the Executive Committee proposes one or two experts to work
after Presidential approval. The Head serves for a specific term. Only the President nominates candidates
for commission members in consultation with member associations, confirmed by the Executive
Committee.
4.4: Only one member per association has membership rights in a commission.
4.5: Other ASJF members may be nominated for two commissions; provincial association heads may
serve on only one commission.
4.6: The Executive Committee must receive informational financial reports from all commissions,
including expense copies and activity evidence for the past term.
4.7: After review, the Executive Committee decides and submits full financial reports to the Financial
Committee, including commission activity information.
4.8: Commissions must meet at least once a year, preferably at major national programs/competitions.
4.9: ASJF Secretariat must be notified of all official meetings.
4.10: Administrative work and commission meeting decisions must be well-documented, with copies
sent to the Federation Secretariat.
4.11: Commission heads are authorized by the President or Executive Committee to communicate
directly with sports institutions and federations.
Clause 5: Reporting
Commission activities must be included in the Executive Committee meeting
agenda and the Congress. Each commission must submit a written report at
the annual Congress session.
Clause 6: Monitoring
The Federation Secretariat closely monitors all commission activities and
informs provincial associations.
Clause 7: Founders
This Federation has founders who own the Federation. Only they may
grant this privilege to other members. Founders oversee all affairs as leaders
and may decide on new formations when necessary.
Clause 8: This statute, comprising 31 articles and eight clauses, was approved and amended by the General Assembly on August 16, 2025, and is effective. (This statute was
before being approved by the General Assembly on 24th April 2015)

End