Pakistan requires NOC for foreign media reporting

Pakistan's government has introduced new regulations requiring journalists working for international media outlets to obtain government permission before reporting from most of the country, a move condemned by press freedom advocates and journalist unions as a severe restriction on media freedom. The "Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026," issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, mandate that all personnel associated with foreign media, including Pakistani journalists, freelancers, fixers, and translators, must register with the ministry's External Publicity Wing and secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to undertake reporting assignments outside the cities of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

The guidelines, circulated earlier this week, formalize a pre-existing but inconsistently enforced travel clearance requirement. Under the new framework, registration and accreditation are mandatory first steps, but they do not authorize reporting outside the three major cities. Journalists must apply for a separate NOC for such assignments, including for producing news reports, documentaries, or social media content. Even leisure travel to popular destinations like...