This Is Why #IStandWithCyril Is Trending In Pakistan!

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Amna Karim
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#IStandWithCyril

If you think that you had a rough Monday yesterday after a long weekend, then you’ve probably not seen the following tweet by Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida after which #IStandWithCyril began trending on Pakistani twitter.

Read: Imran Khan Takes A Leaf From Trump’s Media Book & Doesn’t Invite Dawn News

https://twitter.com/cyalm/status/1044213437335818241

According to the reports, the Lahore High Court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Almeida and placed his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) on account of failing to appear before the court three times consecutively.

The renowned journalist is under a high treason trial sought through petition after he wrote an article that leaked the minutes of a National Security Council meeting that highlighted differences between the civil-military leadership in 2016.

Where Cyril Almeida Went Completely Wrong!

There can be no two opinions about the fact that Cyril Almeida should have appeared before the court for each of the scheduled hearings. It was his repeated absence that propelled the judge to issue a non-bailable warrant. Had Almeida ensured his presence at the hearings, the warrant would perhaps not have been issued at all.

The simplest of all truths is that in issuing the warrant, the judge merely followed legal precedent and ordered something that he probably would have for any other defendant.

Then Why are Pakistanis Enraged?

While not appearing for the court hearing is certainly wrong on Almeida’s part, many in Pakistan are of the view that the case itself is frivolous and is persecuting Almeida for exercising the right to free speech especially considering the fact that this is what journalists are supposed to do.

Read: Ex-ISI Chief Asad Durrani Co-authors A Book With Ex-RAW Chief & Pakistanis Are Upset

This has given rise to a debate where comparisons are being made between Almeida, the journalist and Pervez Musharraf the dictator: while the former is facing a high treason trial for publishing a news story, the latter is living a luxurious life outside the country even after committing a crime (i.e. suspending the Constitution of Pakistan) which is explicitly defined as treacherous under Pakistani law.

https://twitter.com/Tooba_Sd/status/1044204059933249537

https://twitter.com/FawadTalat/status/1044277676629012482

How the Dawn Leaks Fiasco is Costing Pakistan! 

Whichever side you are on, the decision is bound to bring a bad name to Pakistan for three simple reasons.

Firstly, Cyril Almeida belongs to the Pakistani Christian community and for a country that is often bashed by the outside world for persecuting minorities, targeting a prolific member of a religious minority in a high treason case will only add to the narrative.

Moreover, freedom of speech is one of the very basic values of a democratic polity. Democracies around the world make special provisions to ensure that the media in the country is not stifled and free speech is practiced without any inhibitions so that the ethos of transparency and accountability are not compromised.

Therefore, Pakistan ought to ensure freedom of speech if we wish to see our country be respected as a strong democracy in the future.

Read: Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

Most importantly, international press and human rights organizations have always bashed Pakistan for the persecution of minorities, suppression of speech, restrictions on media and weak civil-military ties. Given such dynamics, the latest LHC order in Almeida’s case will only provide these entities fodder to malign us further which is the last thing any Pakistani wants!

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