Amnesty, APNS, CPNE, PFUJ, HRCP condemn placing Dawn reporter on ECL

Govt, state institutions warned against targeting messenger, scapegoating newspaper; Amnesty says ban on Cyril Almeida crude intimidation tactic to silence journalists

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and the Amnesty International on Tuesday urged the government to immediately withdraw all restrictions on daily Dawn’s Assistant Editor Cyril Almeida and address grievances in accordance with the law, due process and universally acknowledged freedoms of opinion and expression.

The federal government on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on Almeida after he sparked an uproar by his report on inside account of the National Security Committee meeting.In a joint statement, APNS President Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Umer Mujib Shami condemned the government’s decision to put the name of daily Dawn’s assistant editor on the Exit Control List and demanded that the action be reversed immediately.

They said the APNS believes the right of freedom of expression is enshrined in articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution and is one of the basic pillars of a democratic society.

“The news story was contradicted by the government repeatedly over the course of last few days. That contradiction was also published prominently in all the major newspapers, including Dawn, and flashed on the electronic media as well. Without going into the merits of the content of the story, it is suffice to say that it should have been the end of the matter. In this day and age where all kinds of unfounded allegations and conspiracy theories find their way to the electronic and social media, singling out a story and making it a reason for not so cordial civil-military relations or blaming it for creating fissures between the same seem absurd to say the least.

“It is really very disturbing to see a democratic government reacting in an arbitrary manner and opting to ‘shoot the messenger’ — an approach that is reminiscent of an era of oppression and repression which many thought was confined to the history books,” the APNS said.

“The government can always take any complaint against the newspaper to the Press Council, a legal forum created for this very purpose, rather than acting in a one-sided manner.”The APNS said it vehemently opposes this approach and reminds the government that the print media in this country has always remained the cornerstone of democratic traditions and any attempt to stifle it is in fact an attack on the very foundation of democracy itself.

The APNS demanded that the name of Cyril Almeida be immediately taken out of the ECL and he be allowed to perform his professional duties freely.Meanwhile, President Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Zia Shahid and Secretary General Aijazul Haq demanded that the government withdraw its decision of putting the name of Cyril Almeida on the ECL.

In a joint statement, they said the CPNE, being the representative organisation of the newspaper editors of Pakistan, is of the view that the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression.“The Prime Minister’s House and the Chief Minister’s House, Punjab, have refuted the story and the same was published by all newspapers, including Dawn.

“Despite that, if the government feels the said story is fabricated, it reserves the right to take legal action. However, only the competent court of law can decide if the stance of the government or that of the newspaper is right.

“Without giving the right to defend, unilateral action against a person or an organisation is contrary to the freedom guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan.“National newspapers publish stories with full responsibility and in the light of their investigation. Only a court of law has the right to judge if a story is correct or wrong.

“It is hoped that keeping in view the freedom of press guaranteed in the Constitution, no one-sided decision will be taken and the supremacy of the Constitution and the law will be respected, which is mandatory for every democratic and independent society.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said barring Cyril Almeida from traveling abroad and the apparent pressure on his employers will cause distress to all those at home and abroad who believe in the freedom of expression and the rights of journalists.

“This is not the time to turn the international journalist community against Pakistan. It seems the authorities are overreacting to a story by Cyril which touches on journalists’ responsibilities in times of trial.

“The HRCP believes the civil-military relations are not a subject beyond the concerns of working journalists or the people at large,” the HRCP said.

Cyril Almeida was put on the Exit Control List (ECL) after the Prime Minister’s Office issued three contradictions to the report.

The HRCP statement called upon the authorities to put Almeida off the ECL and refrain from harassing him and intimidating his employers.

The HRCP statement said under the revised thinking on the matter, it had been decided that any person whose freedom of movement was to be curtailed must be heard before his name was added to the ECL.

“We realise that Pakistan is passing through difficult times, but we are convinced more than ever that wisdom lies in respecting the freedom of expression rather than suppressing it because neither national unity can be achieved nor any issues of governance resolved by finding scapegoats among journalists,” the statement said.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also flayed the inclusion of Almeida’s name in the ECL, terming it a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

“Putting the name of Cyril on the ECL does not suit the democratically-elected government,” the PFUJ said.

This amounts to harassment of journalists and is unacceptable to the PFUJ, said Chairman Ad Hoc Committee PFUJ Muhammad Riaz. “We have serious concerns about his safety and security said Riaz.

The Amnesty International on Tuesday asked the Government of Pakistan to immediately revoke a travel ban on Cyril Almeida and allow the media to operate freely and without fear.

“The travel ban on Cyril Almeida is a crude intimidation tactic designed to silence journalists and stop them from doing their jobs,” said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues.

“Journalism is not a crime. They should be able to work freely and without fear. The Pakistani authorities must break with a longstanding practice of subjecting media workers to intimidation, threats restrictions on movements, enforced disappearances and violence,” he said.

Cyril Almeida announced on Tuesday that he had been placed on the Exit Control List.“I am told and have been informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List,” he tweeted, followed a short time later by “I feel sad tonight. This is my life, my country. What went wrong?”

Citing sources present at a high-level meeting, Almeida said the civilian government had issued a blunt warning to the military as part of a new high-stakes strategy: do not interfere with the police when they take action “against militant groups that are banned or until now considered off-limits for civilian action”.

A statement from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Office said the contents of the report were “a fabrication”.

It was the third denial from the Prime Minister’s Office, Dawn said. The Prime Minister’s Office contended that the report included “inaccurate and misleading contents which had no relevance to actual discussion and facts”.

In an editor’s note, Dawn clarified its position and stated on the record several things.“First, this newspaper considers it a sacred oath to its readers to pursue its reporting fairly, independently and above all accurately.

“The story that has been rejected by the Prime Minister’s Office as a fabrication was verified, cross-checked and fact-checked.“Second, many at the helm are aware of the senior officials and participants of the meeting who were contacted by the newspaper for collecting information and more than one source confirmed and verified the details.

“Therefore the elected government and state institutions should refrain from targeting the messenger and scapegoating the country’s most respected newspaper in a malicious campaign.”