Pakistan restricts international media reporting
Summary
Pakistan has introduced new rules requiring international media workers, including Pakistani citizens, to get official permission before reporting outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. These rules aim to control foreign reporting but have raised concerns about press freedom and could limit independent news coverage in much of the country.Key Facts
- The new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines require foreign media and local contributors to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to report outside three major cities.
- Pakistan ranks 153 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index.
- Local and international media already face pressure, and these rules may restrict independent reporting further.
- Journalists can lose accreditation for allegedly acting against Pakistan's ideology, security, or public order, though these terms are not clearly defined.
- The government says the rules help verify media, support access, and coordinate reporting, not restrict freedom.
- Journalists and experts say these guidelines have no legal basis and limit press freedom and freedom of movement.
- The government has been critical of foreign media coverage of protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
- International journalists often have to wait a long time or never receive NOCs, hurting their ability to report breaking news.
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