Pakistan restricts international media reporting outside major cities

Pakistani authorities have imposed new restrictions on international media, requiring foreign journalists and Pakistani nationals working for foreign outlets to obtain permission to report from most areas outside the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. The move, detailed in the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, has been met with sharp criticism from journalist organizations and commentators who argue it severely curtails press freedom and could foster disinformation.

Political commentator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar stated the guidelines are "tantamount to choking international media in an increasingly shrinking space" and that restricting access "simply creates more room for disinformation and spread of fake news." The government claims the guidelines are an "administrative mechanism" to verify and coordinate reporting, not to restrict media. However, the rules do not specify a timeline for obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC), a process that can already take months or result in no answer, hindering reporting on breaking news.

Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn newspaper, called the restrictions "ridiculous" and "totally unacceptable," noting that he has never seen such limitations imposed even under military rule. He argued that requiring NOCs for travel outside major cities undermines both freedom of movement and freedom of the press. The guidelines also include provisions for losing accreditation for "acts against ideology, sovereignty, security or public order of Pakistan," which Khokhar described as "vague."

Lawyer Salhuddin Ahmed asserted that the guidelines lack statutory legal backing, being merely an executive order intended to regulate internal government functioning rather than create legal obligations for others. The government maintains the guidelines are used under its rules of business and that the External Publicity wing of the Information Ministry is responsible for regulating its administrative relationship with foreign media.

Authorities appear particularly concerned about reporting from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where recent violent clashes and local elections have occurred. International news outlets received a WhatsApp message demanding immediate return from the region and application for an NOC. Al Jazeera's website has been inaccessible in Pakistan since Monday after a report from the regional capital was deemed "yellow journalism" by the information ministry. Two Pakistani journalists also reported being warned by editors to avoid the topic.