Columnist Haroon Rashid criticized for alleging Cyril Almeida has 'contacts in India'

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 9 years ago |  Daud Malik

ISLAMABAD - In a column on bbcurdu.com, novelist and journalist Muhammad Hanif has criticized columnist Haroon Rashid for alleging that Cyril Almeida “has contacts in India.”

Hanif said the columnist heavily quotes from the sacred texts but seldom lives by them.

Referring to Rashid’s columns in which he often quotes the advice not to convey a rumor further without researching/confirming it, Hanif says the rumor of Cyril’s alleged “Indian contacts” was first made by the columnist.

Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida’s October 6 story - Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military - led to tensions in civilian-military relations. He was put on the ECL before being taken off, that set the tongues of conspiracy theorists wagging. 

“Would it not have been enough to question the story, even the intent (of Cyril)?  Don’t you know what it means for a Pakistani journalist to be accused of having contacts in India,” Hanif asked in his column Toyota Corolla mein sajday. He pointedly asked: “What do saints say about those who make false allegations?” Then he lamented “what should the reader do when the pen giving nuggets of wisdom starts making slanderous accusations.”

Hanif, author of the book ‘A Case of Exploding Mangoes’ starts the column on a lighter but sarcastic note where he spots his “journalistic hero” Haroon Rashid in a white Toyota Corolla on a busy Karachi crossing, murmuring to himself.

However, in a while Hanif realizes the columnist is offering prayers, saying he was further impressed and wanted to tell everybody about the “pious” journalist.   He also takes a jibe at Rashid’s closeness to late Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman, former army chief Pervez Kiyani and chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan.

Don't Miss These

PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day

 November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.

PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

 November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.

Global impunity for journalist murders worsens as Pakistan sees 60 percent rise in attacks

 November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.

Pakistan Press Foundation documents 137 attacks on journalists in 2025

 November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.

Anchor Talat Hussain laughs as Marwat makes vulgar comment on air

 November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.

Why was this DawnNews TV journalist targeted in a foiled murder plot?

 October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.

CPJ calls on Pakistan to prosecute killers of journalist Imtiaz Mir

 October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.

PFUJ urges quashing of fabricated case against journalist Matiullah Jan

 October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.