On October 6, 2016 Pakistan’s most prestigious newspaper, Dawn, published a story by Cyril Almeida, titled “Exclusive: Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military“. It described a high level meeting between the country’s civilian and military leadership to assess the security situation where, allegedly, Shahbaz Sharif, the Punjab Chief Minister, had a war of words with the military leaders over curtailing militant activities that have roots in Pakistan. The story came in the wake of escalating tensions with India and a growing concern that the two rivaling neighbors may, once again, be engaging in an all-out war following aggressive statements from both sides.

The Government has strongly rejected the story

As expected, the story raised a lot of eyebrows and has resulted in criticism from the government toward Dawn, as well as Cyril, for “fabricating” stories that are against national security. The Prime Minister’s office has issued three statements, so far, denying the story. The latest statement, which came after military and civilian leadership discussed the matter in a National Security Committee meeting, reads, “the participants were unanimous that the published story was clearly violative of universally acknowledged principles of reporting on National Security issues and has risked the vital state interests through inclusion of inaccurate and misleading contents which had no relevance to actual discussion and facts”.

In response, Dawn has issued a clarification stating that they have “verified, cross-checked and fact-checked” the story

In a Facebook post at 12.45 am on October 11, 2016, the news organization has stated, “this newspaper considers it a sacred oath to its readers to pursue its reporting fairly, independently and, above all, accurately”. They further clarified that highly placed sources in the civilian and military leadership confirmed the details of the meeting in question, as reported by Cyril Almeida.

Soon thereafter Cyril Almeida was placed on the Exit Control List and banned from leaving Pakistan

https://twitter.com/cyalm/status/785559786519666688

Following the revelation, Cyril has been tweeting his dejection over the development.

https://twitter.com/cyalm/status/785648230235246592

News of these events spread like wild fire and social media is ablaze with different narratives

While some have been critical of Dawn reporting on a matter that “hurt us in the eyes of the world by revealing inside dealings”:

Critics of Dawn are alleging that because Dawn’s parent company Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Limited’s chairperson Amber Saigol’s husband Mr. Azam Saigol was recently appointed as the chairman of national carrier, PIA by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the news report exalting the civilian leadership over the military could have come as a result of this personal connection.

https://twitter.com/_ImranAbbas/status/785756787475484672

https://twitter.com/kiranraza_01/status/785744590766768128

Others have been standing up for freedom of the press and allowing news organizations to not be pressured by state institutions:

MangoBaaz reached out to prominent journalists for their opinion on how important freedom of the press is and what difference does putting Cyril on the Exit Control List make for Pakistan’s “image problem” abroad.

Here’s what people had to say:

“The Pakistani government has a longstanding tradition of censoring the press, directly and indirectly, with the excuse of protecting our national security or the charming, trust-inspiring image of our state in the world. But here’s a question for those in power: instead of the government meeting the complaints of the people, what do they do in the country? They want to muzzle you… If you write anything, (they) will, they say, strangle you… Is this really the method by which you can continue governing the people? Is it possible for any statute to destroy the soul of the people? Those aren’t my words – they’re Mr Jinnah’s.

As for Cyril and those journalists doing the kind of work that Dawn supports and earns our trust with, here are some words of encouragement: Do not be dictated to by anybody. Write fearlessly and honestly. Once again, not my words, but the words of the man who led a party that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz takes its name from.

It is wonderful to see journalists and readers writing messages of support for Cyril online, but it would be awe-inspiring to see this group band together – offline – to challenge the government’s latest attempt to muzzle the press. Demonstrate, refuse to run the government’s statements without question, don’t hop on a plane to cover the PM’s latest foreign trip, and don’t protect your corporate interests above your reader’s right to information and honesty. For those who say this is a pipe dream – have a look at how our neighbouring countries have managed to do this when its most needed”, said Sanam Maher, a journalist based in Karachi. Her work has appeared in Al Jazeera, Buzzfeed, The Caravan, the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound, Roads & Kingdoms, Scroll and The New York Times’ Women in the World, amongst others.

“Any reporter, that too who is senior, always has strong ties with the high ups of political parties and military leadership. That is what enables the reporter to fetch and squeeze inside stories and news from the sources. This nation cannot tolerate anything that is against the freedom of media specially in a democratic government. Placing the name of Cyril in exit control list is as shameful as for the Prime Minister to not present himself for accountability on Panama Leaks. The Nawaz-led government is proving to be nothing less than a dictatorship regime,” opined Wajahat Kazmi who has been a former correspondent for Dawn and Samaa TV, and currently reports for BBC, CNN and Huffington Post.

“For Cyril to be put on the ECL proves that press freedom in Pakistan is, and has been, grossly at stake. There are numerous examples of Pakistani journalists and reporters who have been killed and tortured in a bid to silence free speech. But what more is one to expect? We live in a country that allows criminals and terrorists to roam freely in broad daylight. Kudos to Cyril and DAWN for remaining steadfast to the quest and exposure of truth. More power to them”, Lahore based Journalist Sonya Rehman said while speaking with MangoBaaz on the matter.

Why should it matter to you?

It matters because during times like these when Pakistan is experiencing some of its toughest challenges, it is but for an unbiased press that the general public, which is all of us, can have a chance to critically asses the workings and dealings of state institutions to ensure that those that have been elected by the people are actually working, for the people.

In an age where your freedom has already been encumbered on the internet thanks to the Cyber Crimes Act, this is something you really need to give a shit about to prevent more of your rights from being violated. Freedom of Speech is a Constitutional right for every citizen of Pakistan and no one should be able to violate those rights, not even the elected officials that you put in offices, to run your country.