Pakistan requires foreign media to seek permission for reporting outside major cities

Pakistan's government has instructed international media outlets to register their journalists and obtain permission for any reporting conducted outside the country's three main cities: Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. This new requirement has sparked significant concern from rights and media organizations, who view it as a potential threat to press freedom.

The Information Ministry issued a statement to an international media message group detailing the requirement for all foreign journalists, including freelancers, to register with the government's external media wing. Subsequently, organizations must secure Non-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the government for reporting outside these designated urban centers. It remains unclear how strictly these guidelines will be enforced or if penalties will be imposed for non-compliance.

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is deeply concerned by the government's new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, which, rather than facilitating journalism, will invariably institutionalise bureaucratic control over news gathering and risk deterring independent reporting on matters of public interest.

Local media and rights groups have called for the withdrawal of these rules, arguing they will stifle reporting and the free flow of information in Pakistan, the world's fifth-most populous nation. Many significant security, environmental, and human rights events occur outside the major urban areas. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed deep concern, stating the "Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026" will "institutionalize bureaucratic control over news gathering and risk deterring independent reporting on matters of public interest."

This move is seen as part of a "growing pattern of restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan," according to the commission, which warns that "the space for journalism continues to shrink." Pakistan is currently ranked 153rd out of 180 countries for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders. Foreign media workers already face lengthy waits, sometimes weeks, for NOCs to report outside main cities, hindering their ability to cover breaking news. The new guidelines would also require local journalists to obtain an NOC before covering a story.

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This is the latest in a growing pattern of restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan, the space for journalism continues to shrink.