Cyril Almeida, a Pakistani journalist has made headlines after he was barred from leaving the country after he reported a rift between civilian and military leaderships during a key meeting in which the powerful ISI was told that its support for terror groups led to Pakistan’s international isolation.
In what may surprise many, Almeida has Goan roots. The family moved to pre-partition Pakistan when Karachi was part of the Bombay presidency. After partition, 30 years later, the family decided to stay on as there was a thriving Goan community in Karachi.
In a conversation with TOI last year, Almeida said that this is how the origins of Goans in Pakistan began. Although it was Almeida’s third visit to Goa, the rest of his family were visiting this former Portuguese colony for the first time.
Cyril was apparently influneced by Anthony Mascarenhas, a journalist of Goan origin, then based in Pakistan, who by some accounts broke the story of genocide in East Pakistan.
He added that there was a “culture familiarity” in Goa even though he doesn’t know Konkani but can converse in fluent English and Urdu. Tracing the familiarity, Cyril said that the cuisine in Goa was recognisable to one his grandmother made. He added that he took back Goan rechado masala on each visit.
Cyril , a columnist and reporter for the Dawn newspaper, tweeted that he has been told that he has been put on ‘Exit Control List’ – a system of border control maintained by Pakistan government which allows it to bar people whose names appear on the list from leaving the country.
“I am told and have been informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List,” Almeida tweeted.
“Puzzled, saddened. Had no intention of going anywhere; this is my home. Pakistan. I feel sad tonight. This is my life, my country. What went wrong,” he said.