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Cyril Almeida

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Cyril Almeida
Nationality Pakistan
OccupationJournalist
EmployerDawn

Cyril Almeida is a Pakistani journalist and an assistant editor for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.[1]

He was barred from leaving Pakistan, after he wrote a controversial news article after 2016 India–Pakistan military confrontation, and hinted a rift between Pakistan's civilian and military leadership.[2] Reportedly, he was put on the Exit Control List.[3]

Life and career

Cyril Almeida belongs to a community of Goan Catholics who migrated to Karachi more than a hundred years ago. His family is said to speak Konkani at home. Many members of the community left for western countries after the Partition, but about 15,000 members still live in Pakistan.[1]

After studying B.A. in Law in England, Almeida returned to Karachi. He practised law for about a year and changed careers to become a journalist with Dawn.[4]

Travel ban

In October 2016, Dawn published a front-page article by Almeida, which said that some in the Pakistan's civilian government confronted military officials at a top-secret national security Committee meeting. They said that they were being asked to do more to crack down on armed groups, yet, whenever law-enforcement agencies took action, "the security establishment ... worked behind the scenes to set the arrested free". He reported that the civilians warned that Pakistan risked international isolation if the security establishment didn't crack down on terrorist groups operating from Pakistan.[5][6][7]

Following the news article published, both the offices of Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif denied the version of events printed in the article and called it as fabricated story.[8] Sharif ordered authorities to take action against those responsible for publishing what he termed as a “fabricated” story about the military and ISI after the Pakistan's chief of army staff Raheel Sharif called on him to discuss national and regional security issues.[9]

Dawn said that the Cyril Almeida report was "verified, cross-checked and fact-checked" and it stood by the story. The Editor-in-Chief of Dawn urged the government to refrain from "scapegoating" the newspaper in a "malicious campaign".[2][10]

References

  1. ^ a b D. P. Satish (11 October 2016), "Grounded Pakistani Journalist Cyril Almeida Has Goan Roots", News18, retrieved 11 October 2016
  2. ^ a b "Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida 'barred from leaving country'". BBC News. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Pakistan cracks down against journalist Cyril Almeida over rift with army controversy". The Financial Express. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. ^ Ahsan Butt (3 September 2009), "A Conversation With Dawn Editorial Writer And Op-Ed Columnist Cyril Almeida", Asian Correspondent, retrieved 11 October 2016
  5. ^ "Pakistan: Cyril Almeida of Dawn 'on Exit Control List'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Sharif govt puts scribe who reported on rift with Pak army on 'Exit Control List' - Times of India". The Times of India. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  7. ^ Salman Masood (11 October 2016), "Reporter Who Wrote of Military Civilian Clash Says He Can't Leave Pakistan", The New York Times (Asia Pacific ed.), retrieved 11 October 2016
  8. ^ "Dawn's Almeida placed on ECL". The Nation. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida banned from leaving Pakistan after report on civilian govt-military meet". The Indian Express. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  10. ^ Story rejected by PM Office was fact-checked: Dawn newspaper, Daily Pakistan, 11 October 2016.