Pakistan issues foreign media guidelines, drawing criticism from press freedom groups

Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan's government has introduced new guidelines for foreign media organizations operating within the country, targeting journalists not based in the nation's major cities of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. This move has sparked criticism from press freedom advocates and journalist associations who argue that these guidelines could hinder independent reporting.

The document, titled "Guidelines for the Facilitation of the Foreign Media and Their Associates Working in Pakistan," was disseminated to both local and foreign media outlets earlier this week. However, the Ministry of Information insists that the guidelines do not aim to restrict foreign media or infringe upon press freedom. Instead, they claim it provides a clear, transparent, and accountable framework for foreign media registration, accreditation, and facilitation.

Regarding the registration process, Pakistani journalists, freelancers, contributors, stringers, fixers, and others linked with foreign media organizations are required to register with the External Publicity Wing of the ministry and obtain accreditation before reporting outside the three specified cities. The ministry clarified that this is not a blanket restriction on individuals' movement but rather a requirement for any reporting, filming, or content production beyond Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

This clarification came after several days of controversy following a WhatsApp message sent to Islamabad-based foreign journalists, reminding them of the need for a No-Objection Certificate (NO) before reporting, filming, or producing content outside the designated cities.