Pakistan - August 2026

In August 2026, Pakistan introduced new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines requiring foreign media personnel, including Pakistani journalists working for international outlets, to register and obtain government permission to report outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The rules also require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for reporting, filming or producing social-media content in other parts of the country, while accreditation may be suspended or revoked on broad grounds including activities deemed contrary to Pakistan’s ‘ideology, sovereignty, security or public order.’ Press-freedom and human rights organisations condemned the measures as a further restriction on independent journalism and freedom of expression. The guidelines were introduced amid restrictions on reporting from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where internet access was disrupted and access to Al Jazeera’s website was blocked following its coverage of protests and elections. The guidelines also come amid a broader crackdown on Pakistani journalists based overseas since late 2025.

Sources: Dawn, The New York Times, Committee to Protect Journalists (1), Committee to Protect Journalists (2)