Pakistan restricts international media reporting
Anyone working for foreign media, including Pakistanis, will now need permission to report from anywhere outside three major cities.
The Pakistani government has introduced new restrictions on international media reporting, requiring foreign journalists, including Pakistani nationals, to seek permission to report from areas outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. This move, aimed at providing an administrative mechanism to verify media, facilitate access, and coordinate reporting requirements, has been met with sharp criticism from journalist organizations.
The guidelines, known as the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, do not specify the duration for obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which could take months or even never be granted, severely impacting foreign media's ability to report breaking news. Critics argue that these restrictions are akin to choking international media in an already shrinking space, potentially leading to an increase in disinformation and fake news.
The government, however, maintains that the guidelines are not intended to restrict media but to streamline the process for media accreditation. The guidelines also include provisions that could lead to the revocation of accreditation for journalists involved in activities against the ideology, sovereignty, security, or public order of Pakistan, raising concerns about how these vague criteria might be interpreted.
Brief written by urgent.news from BBC World's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
