Pakistan restricts foreign reporting outside Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore

Pakistani authorities have announced new rules requiring anyone working for foreign media, including Pakistani nationals, to obtain permission to report from locations outside Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, the government said on Sunday, and the guidelines aim to verify and coordinate foreign media activity while the timing for approvals remains unspecified.

The Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026 state that foreign journalists and contributors based outside the three cities must seek a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to report, and the ministry said the measures are intended to provide an administrative mechanism to verify media and facilitate access.

Journalists and press organisations criticised the move, saying NOC requirements have previously delayed or blocked permissions for foreign reporters and that the new rules would place on-the-ground reporting at the discretion of authorities across much of the country.

The guidelines note that accreditation may be revoked for acts described as against the ideology, sovereignty, security or public order of Pakistan; officials said the system must retain the ability to act when a holder is involved in conduct affecting national security or public order.

Legal observers questioned the guidelines’ statutory basis, with a Supreme Court lawyer saying the measures amount to executive instructions without legal backing and that rules of business regulate internal government functioning rather than create legal obligations for others.

Foreign media often rely on Pakistan-based contributors in cities such as Peshawar or Quetta to verify reports when NOCs are delayed; under the new rules, freelancers and contributors outside the three specified cities would also require NOCs.

Authorities signalled particular concern about reporting from Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PAK). The External Publicity wing sent a message instructing foreign media in PAK to return immediately and apply for an NOC after several outlets published reports from inside the region.

Two months of clashes between protesters and security forces in PAK have coincided with internet restrictions and a boycott of local elections by protesters; the ministry said some international reporting from the region prompted its directive.

Al Jazeera’s website has been inaccessible inside Pakistan after a correspondent’s report was labelled “yellow journalism” by the information ministry, while other outlets have faced delays or denials when seeking reporting permissions.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The guidelines centralise administrative control over foreign media accreditation and travel permissions, maintain the possibility of revoking accreditation for broadly defined threats to national security or public order, and have prompted efforts by international journalists and Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists to seek a meeting with the information minister to raise concerns.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• New Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026 require NOCs for foreign media and contributors outside Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
• Guidelines state accreditation can be revoked for acts against ideology, sovereignty, security or public order; officials cite national security grounds for action.
• External Publicity wing told foreign media in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to return immediately and apply for NOCs following published reports.