Pakistan sets new rules for foreign media reporting

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 5 August 2026 |  JP Staff Report

Pakistan's 2026 Foreign Media Guidelines require foreign correspondents, Pakistani employees of international media organizations, contributors, and freelancers to obtain accreditation and NOCs before reporting outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. Approval timelines are not specified.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has introduced new reporting requirements for international media under the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, requiring journalists working for foreign news organizations to obtain prior government permission before reporting from most parts of the country outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. The move expands the role of the Information Ministry's External Publicity Wing in regulating foreign media operations and has prompted concern among press freedom advocates.

The guidelines require foreign correspondents, Pakistani employees of international media organizations, contributors, and freelancers to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before undertaking reporting assignments in areas beyond the three exempt cities. The policy does not specify how long authorities may take to issue an NOC, leaving approval timelines uncertain.

What the new guidelines require

According to the reported guidelines, journalists working for foreign media must first obtain official accreditation through the Ministry of Information before carrying out reporting assignments in Pakistan. The accreditation process is administered by the External Publicity Wing, which is also responsible for registering foreign media organizations and associated personnel.

The new framework also requires media personnel to obtain prior government approval before traveling to provinces, border regions, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, or other locations outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore for reporting purposes. Reporting activities may only proceed after the required NOC has been granted.

Accreditation conditions and oversight

The guidelines further state that accredited journalists must comply with conditions governing their accreditation. They provide that accreditation may be suspended or canceled in cases authorities determine involve actions against Pakistan's "ideology, sovereignty, security or public order," language that has drawn criticism from media organizations and legal observers for being broadly-framed.

The External Publicity Wing has also been assigned responsibility for verifying foreign media personnel, processing accreditation and reporting requests, facilitating access, and coordinating reporting requirements under the new administrative framework. The ministry's official portal states that it deals with the registration and accreditation of foreign nationals and Pakistani citizens working for foreign media organizations.

Press freedom concerns

The practical effect of the guidelines is that international media can continue reporting without additional travel permission only from Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. Reporting from the rest of Pakistan, including politically sensitive areas such as Pakistan-administered Kashmir, now depends on obtaining prior government authorization through the NOC process.

The restrictions have attracted criticism from journalist organizations and media advocates, who argue they could delay or limit coverage of breaking news outside the country's three largest cities. The government, however, has said the guidelines are intended to provide an administrative mechanism for verifying media personnel, facilitating access, and coordinating reporting requirements rather than restricting journalistic activity.

ATTRIBUTION: Based on reported provisions of the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, and publicly available information from Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's External Publicity Wing.

PHOTO: The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash