Skip to content Skip to navigation

JFA bats for Pak scribe’s freedom of expression

Expressing concern over the Pakistan government’s indirect threats to a Pakistani scribe for his recent media reports in the acclaimed newspaper Dawn, the Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) urged the Islamabad based government to show respect to the media. The northeast India based scribes’ forum argues that the Nawaz Sharif government should not act against Cyril Almeida with personal vendetta, who showed his commitment in reporting the ongoing rift between the civilian government and the military in the backdrop of Indo-Pak conflict.

It may be mentioned the Islamabad regime got angry over Almeida’s report titled ‘Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military’ and put him on an exit control list meaning Almeida can be stopped from leaving the country.

“I am told and have been informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List,” twitted Almeida recently. Dawn’s senior scribe however reiterated that he loves his country very much. The exclusive report was published a week after the Indian armed forces conducted a surgical strike on terrorist camps inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Carried out on 29 September, the unique strike was in revenge against the 18 September terror attack in Uri of J&K by the Pakistan based militants killing 19 Indian soldiers.

Later the Pakistan government issued a statement claiming the news report ‘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’. Prior to it, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had an exhausted discussion with the country’s army chief General Raheel Sharif, ISI chief Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar, interior minister Nisar Ali Khan and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The JFA pointed out that the Pakistan government should admit respect Almeida’s right to report in the recognized media outlets and also urged both New Delhi and Islamabad regimes to deal with the situation affectively to prevent further escalating the violence in the border areas.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Delhi university helpdesk

1 Jun 2013 - 10:54pm | Abdul Gani
The Delhi University Student’s Union is establishing a temporary Official Helpdesk in order to answer and solve the queries related to courses, admissions, forms and submission of forms of the...

Gogoi slams Modi on Chinese dam

14 Oct 2015 - 10:06pm | AT News
Amid report of the huge megadam over the Brahmaputra by China, chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging his silence. In is twit Gooi said,"PM's much...

Assam Congress topgun,Ripun Bora steps down

3 May 2021 - 5:42pm | Shajid Khan
    Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and Congress top gun ,Ripun Bora has stepped down from his post and resigned from the top post owning responsibility...

Aditya Baruah brings laurels to College of Fisheries,Raha

10 Oct 2017 - 1:44pm | Ranjanjyoti Mahanta
The sumptuousness of College of Fisheries, Assam Agricultural University, Raha, in the dome of imparting quality education and nurturing talent, once again has been appreciated nationally. The...

Other Contents by Author

The Meiteis of Manipur residing in Mizoram have reportedly started leaving the state due to safety concerns prompted by a recently-viral video. According to reports, the former militants' organization "Peace Accord MNF Returnees’ Association" and the "Hmar Students Association" allegedly asked the Meiteis of Manipur to leave Mizoram for their own safety. This has led to over 300 Meiteis gathering in Aizawl, while others have sought shelter in local churches. Some have reached Imphal Airport today, with many others still stuck in Mizoram. There are over 2,000 Meiteis in Mizoram, of which half originate from Manipur, and are working in various sectors, including central government offices...
Majuli: In the wake of a devastating storm that wreaked havoc on 20th April, 2023 in Majuli island of Assam, North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a local humanitarian organisation has sprung into action, initiating a humanitarian relief and rehabilitation programme to assist the affected communities in their time of need. The massive storm, which struck the island with unrelenting force, caused widespread destruction to homes, infrastructure and livelihoods, leaving hundreds of families grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. With access to basic necessities and essential services severely compromised, the affected communities faced numerous challenges on the path...
Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha and the President of Jatiya Dal-Asom, has filed an FIR against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and several other ministers and MLAs. The FIR, addressed to the Officer-In-Charge of Dispur Police Station, alleges that the statements made by these constitutional functionaries constitute hate speeches against a particular community. In the FIR, Bhuyan refers to recent press statements made by Chief Minister Sarma, in which he allegedly asked people from Upper Assam to come to Guwahati and promised to clear the city of "Mias." These statements, widely available on social media, are seen as intended to create divisions among...
In a recent development, the Chief of Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC), Ripun Bora, has demanded urgent action against Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Bora's call comes after the Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam Police takes suo-motu cognisance of a Supreme Court order, WP(C) No. 943/2021 of Ashwini Kumar Upadhaya Vs. Union of India & ORS. During a press conference held at the party's headquarters on Monday, Bora emphasized that CM Sarma's comments about the Miyan community constitute a "hate speech" and violate Section 153(A) of the IPC, as outlined in the order dated April 28, 2023, passed in WP(C) No. 943/2021. Bora further revealed that he has written a letter to...
Udalguri, Assam - In a devastating incident that took place today, Raju Keunt, a 47-year-old resident, lost his life after being trampled by a wild elephant at the Orangajuli tea garden. The unfortunate incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Paneri police station in Udalguri district. Keunt was attempting to feed bananas to a group of wild elephants when the tragedy unfolded. Eyewitnesses reported that Keunt had ventured close to the elephants, hoping to interact with them and feed them some bananas. Unfortunately, one of the elephants became agitated and charged at him, resulting in the fatal trampling. Despite the efforts of the tea garden workers and nearby residents to...
Chuachandpur's Rural Women Upliftment Society (RWUS) has stepped forward to provide assistance and relief to the grief-stricken family of Late David Hmar, who tragically lost his life on July 2, 2023. David was brutally beheaded by an armed mob during an attack on his village, Chinglangmei, located in the Samulamlan Block of Lamka. The untimely demise of David has left his family devastated, especially considering their already precarious financial situation. David hails from an impoverished family, where his father is afflicted with Hemiparesis, a condition that has rendered him unable to work and provide for the family. As the sole breadwinner, David worked on a small farm, struggling...
 In a bid to shape the future of climate action, indigenous communities and local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Assam joined forces on June 30, 2023, for a community consultation on COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Held at Rajputana Login, Jorhat, this event provided a vital platform for communities to express their concerns, contributions, and recommendations regarding the upcoming critical climate conference. The consultation, organized by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) and supported by various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), aimed to ensure that community...
IIT Roorkee, in collaboration with astronomers from India, Japan, and Europe, has made a significant breakthrough in the study of gravitational waves. An international team of astronomers has recently published their findings in the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal, providing evidence of ultra-low frequency gravitational waves and shedding light on the humming of our universe. Using some of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes, including India's largest telescope, uGMRT, the team monitored pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars, to detect these waves. The pulsars, acting as cosmic clocks, emitted radio beams that were analyzed for changes in arrival times caused by...
Assam TMC chief and AITC national spokesperson Ripun Bora on Thursday strongly condemned the shocking incident reported from Ghograpara Police Station in Nalbari district where an underage girl in lock up was stripped by a police officer and being photographed. Bora alleged that the actions of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to empower Assam Police personnel against controlling crime resulted in extreme Police Raaj in the state. The shameful incident which happened at Ghograpar Police Station on the unfortunate night of June 21 is reported by the girl on June 26 at Nalbari district head police station, however no action was taken on that complaint till 28th June. Commenting on this, Ripun Bora...
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus celebrated its 10th Convocation ceremony on June 23, 2023. The event was held at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre Auditorium, Guwahati and was graced by the presence of Prof. Manorama Sharma, Professor (Retd.), Dept. of History, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), who served as the Chief Guest. The Director of the Institute, Prof. Shalini Bharat and Officiating Registrar, Prof. Sasmita Palo were also present at the ceremony. During the convocation ceremony, 154 students who graduated in the year 2023 were awarded their degrees. One student was conferred with a PhD degree in Social Sciences while 112 students obtained their...