Pakistan Tightens Grip on Foreign Media with New Guidelines

The Pakistani government has issued the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, a set of executive rules that will force all foreign journalists – including Pakistani nationals working abroad – to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before covering stories in regions outside the capital cities of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

The guidelines, which the Information Ministry claims are meant to "provide an administrative mechanism" for media verification, leave the exact timing and duration of obtaining an NOC unclear. Freelance reporters or those based outside the exempted cities will now face an additional layer of bureaucracy that could be months or even lead to no response at all.

Press freedom advocates warn that the rules could stifle coverage of sensitive events, particularly in the disputed Pakistan‑administered Kashmir where protests have erupted and the government has already imposed travel restrictions on journalists covering the violence.

Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn, described the move as "ridiculous...totally unacceptable," arguing it undermines both freedom of movement and freedom of the press. He added that the lack of a statutory framework heightens concerns that the guidelines could be used to suppress independent reporting.

Foreign media organisations have reacted strongly. A WhatsApp message sent by the ministry’s External Publicity wing on Monday evening warned that anyone in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir must "return back immediately" and apply for an NOC, effectively cutting off coverage from a region already under tight scrutiny.

The government maintains that the guidelines are a routine administrative measure, not a blanket restriction, and that the ministry’s External Publicity wing has the authority to manage foreign media accreditation. Still, the lack of statutory backing and the vague definition of "acts against the ideology, sovereignty, security or public order of Pakistan" have left journalists and international bodies wary that the rules could be invoked to silence dissenting voices.

A coalition of international journalists and the leaders of Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists are now trying to arrange a meeting with the information minister to express their concerns and seek clarification on the new regulations.