ISLAMABAD (AP) 鈥� Pakistan鈥檚 government has issued new guidelines for foreign media organizations operating in the country, formalizing reporting requirements for journalists working for international news outlets outside the country鈥檚 three largest cities, a move that has drawn criticism from advocates and journalist groups.
The document, titled Guidelines for the Facilitation of the Foreign Media and Their Associates Working in Pakistan, was circulated to local and foreign media organizations earlier this week. Journalists鈥� and rights groups said Thursday the measures add new bureaucratic hurdles that could discourage independent reporting.
However, the Ministry of Information rejected that characterization, saying the guidelines 鈥渁re not intended to restrict foreign media or curtail press freedom,鈥� but instead provide 鈥渁 clear, transparent and accountable framework鈥� for the registration, accreditation, and facilitation of foreign media organizations.
The ministry in responses to several journalists said the guidelines distinguish between registration and obtaining government clearance for reporting trips outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Under the rules, Pakistani journalists, freelancers, contributors, stringers, fixers, and others professionally associated with foreign media organizations must register with the ministry鈥檚 External Publicity Wing and obtain accreditation before undertaking reporting assignments beyond the three cities.
鈥淭his is not a blanket restriction on the movement of individuals,鈥� the ministry said.
The ministry鈥檚 clarification followed days of controversy after it sent a WhatsApp message to Islamabad-based foreign journalists reminding them that a No-Objection Certificate, or NOC, was mandatory before reporting, filming, or producing content outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
The message also instructed journalists working in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to return immediately, apply for the required clearance and inform the ministry before deploying reporting teams to the disputed region.
The travel clearance requirement has existed for years, but the latest guidelines followed weeks of controversy over foreign media coverage of . Authorities say dozens of deaths were wrongly reported during clashes between police and supporters of the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee, as well as reports of low voter turnout during recent legislative assembly elections after the group called for a boycott.
The government accused some international media organizations of presenting a misleading picture of the elections.
The guidelines were issued ahead of the third and final phase of the legislative assembly elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where Pakistan鈥檚 ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is expected to return to office after a decade out of power.
Raja Shakeel, a spokesman for the , said turnout exceeded 56% in the regional capital of Muzaffarabad. Voting for the remaining 11 seats is scheduled for Aug. 10.
Media rights groups condemned the guidelines. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that rather than facilitating journalism, they “will invariably institutionalize bureaucratic control over news gathering and risk deterring independent reporting on matters of public interest.鈥�
In a post on X the previous day, the commission described the measures as 鈥渢he latest in a growing pattern of restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan.鈥� 鈥淔rom arbitrary curbs on reporting and increasing censorship to legal and administrative barriers, the space for independent journalism has continued to shrink,鈥� it said.
鈥淭he requirement that journalists obtain state approval to report from large parts of the country sends a chilling message: that critical reporting is unwelcome.鈥� The commission urged the government to withdraw the measures and uphold its constitutional and international obligations to protect freedom of expression.
鈥淭he Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, open the door for Pakistan鈥檚 civilian and security agencies to impose further restrictions on foreign journalists and prevent them from reporting freely across the country without fear of legal or administrative retaliation,鈥� said Waliullah Rahmani, the Committee to Protect Journalists representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists on Thursday also condemned the guidelines, calling them 鈥渁n attack on freedom of expression鈥� that would hamper the work of foreign correspondents and Pakistani journalists working for international news organizations. It urged the government to withdraw the notification, saying the move would further damage Pakistan鈥檚 international reputation on press freedom.
in recent years.
鈥斺赌斺赌�
Castillo reported from Beijing.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
