Watchdogs call for scrapping foreign press curbs
KARACHI: As concern grows over recent restrictions imposed on foreign media outlets operating in the country, global human rights watchdogs have termed the fresh guidelines issued by the government “an attack on press freedom”. Until the new government restrictions were first circulated widely over the weekend, only foreign citizens working as journalists were routinely subject to controls on…
Recent concerns over new government restrictions on foreign media outlets in Pakistan have prompted global human rights organizations to denounce the measures as a "direct attack on press freedom." Initially limited to foreign journalists, the controls now extend to Pakistani journalists, fixers, and staff of foreign media organizations.
They must now seek government permission for travel and registration even for leisure activities outside Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. Patricia Gossman of Human Rights Watch called for the restrictions to be "immediately reversed," while Amnesty International questioned why the government would be "afraid of truth." The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged authorities to withdraw the "draconian new guidelines," warning that they could lead to further restrictions on international media coverage and potential retaliation against journalists.
The guidelines were introduced following criticism of international reporting on elections and protests in Azad Kashmir, where foreign media representatives were already expelled. Pakistani media outlets and the BBC have expressed deep concern over the developments, emphasizing the decline in press freedom in Pakistan, which ranks 153rd out of 180 countries according to Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
