Islamabad, October 11

A prominent Pakistani journalist has been barred from leaving the country after he reported a rift between the civilian and military leaderships over the powerful ISI shielding terror groups like the Haqqani network and LeT that led to Pakistan’s international isolation.Cyril Almeida, a columnist and reporter for the Dawn newspaper, tweeted he has been told that he has been put on ‘Exit Control List’—a system which allows Pakistan government to bar people from leaving the country.“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,” Almeida tweeted.PM Nawaz Sharif yesterday asked authorities to take “stern action” against people responsible for publishing the “fabricated” story. The daily today stood by the story issued on October 6, saying it was “verified, cross-checked and fact-checked”. — PTI