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Cyril Almeida

Visiting Senior Expert, Asia Center

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Cyril Almeida is a visiting senior expert with the Asia center at USIP. He is a Pakistani journalist and was a columnist and assistant editor at Dawn, Pakistan’s oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper.

His areas of interest include national politics, civil-military relations, militancy, and regional security issues. Almeida received the International Press Institute’s 2019 World Press Freedom Hero award, which “honors journalists who have made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom, particularly in the face of great personal risk.”

He is a Rhodes scholar and holds a B.A. in jurisprudence from Oxford University. Earlier, he earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Publications By Cyril

Pakistani Politics Roiled by Familiar Triangle: Military, Government, Opposition

Pakistani Politics Roiled by Familiar Triangle: Military, Government, Opposition

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

By: Cyril Almeida

Political uncertainty has descended on Pakistan as the combined opposition, seeking to dislodge the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has gathered under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). While the conflict may appear sudden, its roots lie in the 2018 general election, which the opposition claims was rigged by the military to carry the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) to power. With the government struggling to manage the economy and govern, and the opposition facing further parliamentary marginalization, the PDM has emerged as the most significant challenge to the PTI government so far. The PDM is also seeking to roll back the influence of the military in politics.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance; Civilian-Military Relations

In Karachi, Flooding Lays Bare City’s Governance Issues

In Karachi, Flooding Lays Bare City’s Governance Issues

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

By: Jumaina Siddiqui; Cyril Almeida

Many parts of Pakistan have always struggled with flooding, especially over the last decade, due in part to climate change as weather events have become more extreme. But for Pakistan’s largest city Karachi, August saw immense rainfall—breaking all previous records in the past century—and widespread flooding that brought the city to a standstill. USIP’s Jumaina Siddiqui and Cyril Almeida look at why Karachi’s flooding situation is so dire, how contentious political dynamics have impeded governance reforms in the city, and what can be done to prevent future humanitarian disasters.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance; Economics & Environment

Pakistan’s Looming Coronavirus Crisis

Pakistan’s Looming Coronavirus Crisis

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

By: Cyril Almeida; Richard Olson

In the weeks since Pakistan’s first confirmed cases of coronavirus, the country’s response has laid bare troubling weaknesses in governance, public health, and economic stability—and raised serious questions about Pakistan’s capacity to weather a large-scale outbreak absent significant international assistance. USIP’s Cyril Almeida and Ambassador Richard Olson look at how friction between the military and federal government poses a risk to Pakistan’s democracy, the possible avenues for medical and economic relief, and what COVID-19 means for the situation in Kashmir and Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance; Fragility & Resilience; Global Health

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