In brief
The Pakistani government has issued the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, compelling foreign reporters to secure a No‑Objection Certificate before covering any area outside Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Journalists and press bodies condemn the move as a direct attack on press freedom, pointing out that it will curtail independent reporting and create a breeding ground for misinformation. The regulation comes amid violent protests in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir, where the Ministry of Information already tightened media access and labelled foreign coverage as “yellow journalism.” Despite the government's claim that the guidelines are merely administrative, critics argue that they lack statutory backing and could lead to the revocation of accreditation for breaching vague national security criteria. A delegation of international reporters plans to seek a meeting with the information minister to challenge the legality and impact of these restrictions.
The Pakistani government has introduced new rules that require foreign journalists to obtain a No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) before reporting anywhere outside the three major cities of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. The move, hailed by the ministry as an administrative update, is condemned as a direct blow to press freedom.
The guidelines were announced on Sunday and effectively leave foreign reporters to the discretion of Pakistani authorities across the rest of the country, which sits at 153rd out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index.
Journalists and media organisations, including the Pakistan Federation of Journalists, call the restrictions “ridiculous” and “unacceptable” and warn that it will expand the space for fake news and disinformation.
The new rules come at a time of serious unrest in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir, where air‑space and ground reporting have already been curtailed after the Ministry of Information labeled a BBC report as “yellow journalism.” Hundreds of protesters have been killed in clashes, and internet outages make verification difficult.
The Pakistani government insists the guidelines are merely a matter of administrative coordination, noting that accreditation can be revoked if a journalist is deemed to act against “ideology, sovereignty, security or public order.”
A delegation of international reporters is seeking a meeting with the information minister to argue the rules lack statutory backing and pose a serious threat to independent coverage.
