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Lahore HC issues non-bailable warrant against Dawn journalist, puts him on no-fly list

Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida Image courtesy: twitter/@Cyalm

The Lahore High Court on Monday issued a non-bailable warrant against the Assistant Editor of Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn, Cyril Almeida following failure to appear before the court after it issued three notices. The court directed the editor’s name to be put on Pakistan’s Exit Control List (ECL), which prohibits citizens from leaving the country.

“In this view of the matter we are left with no option except to issue non-bailable warrants of arrest against Cyril Almeida,” the written order of the court stated, according to Dawn. “Keeping in view the past conduct of the respondent, we have been persuaded to direct that his name shall be placed in Exit Control List forthwith,” it added.

The three judge bench, headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and comprising of Justice Atir Mahmood and Justice Chaudhry Masood Jahangir, has ordered the editor to be present on October 8.

On Twitter, Almeida wrote, “Spoke to the lawyer, there is a warrant, am back on the ECL and will have to appear before the court on Oct 8… how’s your Monday been?”

Meanwhile, Dawn editor said Almeida will “certainly” appear in court on the next date of hearing. In a note, he said, “The notice served on Cyril Almeida was delivered at Dawn’s Islamabad bureau in the middle of last week, and journalists and officials at the bureau say the earlier two notices were never delivered. Mr Almeida, like all Dawn staffers, is a law abiding citizen, and sincerely believes in the rule of law. He is a seasoned journalist and has never shied away from such matters.”

He appealed to the court to withdraw the warrant of arrest and the directions to put his name on the ECL.

Earlier, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allegedly claimed in an interview with Almeida that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India were from Pakistan. The petitioner of the current case, Amina Malik, sought action against Sharif for allegedly defaming state institutions. Malik claimed that his “anti-state” statement could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.

The case also involves a treason charge against former Pak PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, wherein Malik claimed Abbasi told Sharif of concerns the military leadership had raised regarding his statement. Since the concerns were revealed

in a National Security Council (NSC) meeting, the petitioner said it was “a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct”.

The NSC, Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership, had called Nawaz’s statement “fallacious”, and said it was “incorrect and misleading”.

Almeida was issued notice by the court to file a response to the treason charge against Nawaz and Abbasi.

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