Pakistan Restricts Foreign Media Activity to Government Permit in Three Major Cities

Pakistani authorities have issued new guidelines limiting the activities of international media outlets to the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, requiring official permits for coverage outside these areas. Critics argue this move could severely restrict access to independent reporting.

According to a BBC report, foreign journalists and media associates, including Pakistani citizens, must obtain a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) to report from other regions. However, the guidelines do not specify a timeframe for issuing the permits, and in the past, the process has taken months or permits have not been granted at all.

These regulations, titled ‘Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026,’ also apply to local journalists and freelance contributors residing outside the three major cities. International media have traditionally relied heavily on local reporters to cover events in remote areas.

Critics say tying field reporting to government approval and timing opens the door to misinformation. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a political analyst, described the move as ‘choking international media’ and stated that the public relies on these outlets for access to independent news.

Zafar Abbas, editor of the newspaper Dawn, called the restrictions ‘unacceptable,’ adding that in his over four decades of professional experience, including during military and authoritarian civilian regimes, he had never witnessed such severe limitations. He said the requirement for permits undermines freedom of movement and the press.

The guidelines state that journalists’ credentials can be revoked if their actions are deemed against the ‘ideology, sovereignty, security, or public order of Pakistan’—terms critics argue are vague and prone to arbitrary interpretation.

Salahuddin Ahmed, a lawyer at the Pakistan Supreme Court, said these regulations lack legal backing from parliament and are merely executive directives. He described the measures as a rushed attempt to curtail independent reporting in the country.

In response, the Pakistani government claimed the guidelines are not intended to restrict media but to establish an administrative mechanism for accrediting journalists and coordinating reporting needs.

Pakistan ranks 153rd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, a statistic that previously highlighted concerns about media freedom in the country.