Is another restriction about to be placed on press freedom in Pakistan?
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistani journalists working for foreign media organizations must now obtain mandatory permission or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before reporting outside Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. They must also ensure they do not report or speak against the integrity of Pakistan.
Furthermore, any Pakistani national having any form of affiliation with foreign media outlets must register themselves on a designated portal under the Ministry’s External Publicity (EP) Wing.
This marks the first regulation of its kind framed specifically for Pakistani journalists associated with foreign news agencies. Previously, an NOC was required only for foreign journalists visiting Pakistan from other countries to carry out their work.
Notably, this notification has surfaced at a time of severe tension in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where reports indicate that at least 40 people have lost their lives.
The new regulations do not apply solely to direct journalists; they also extend to individuals who assist foreign media journalists in any capacity, such as fixers or stringers.
This marks the first regulation of its kind framed specifically for Pakistani journalists associated with foreign news agencies.
Under these rules, a journalist affiliated with a foreign media organization must first complete their registration, after which an accreditation card will be issued that must be presented upon demand. However, it has been observed that the portal mentioned in these regulations has not yet been launched on the Ministry's official website.
According to certain clauses of the framework, this accreditation card can be revoked at any time—for instance, if a journalist is seen working against the integrity, ideology, or security of Pakistan.
It is worth noting that on August 3, the Pakistani government shut down the prominent international news agency Al Jazeera nationwide. This move apparently stemmed from a report broadcast by Al Jazeera on August 2 regarding elections in Azad Kashmir, which the Ministry of Information termed "yellow journalism" in an official statement.
These measures raise critical questions: Is prior state approval necessary for journalism or news publishing? Is this law a new assault on press freedom—especially at a time when accurate coverage of local conditions and transparent reporting on human rights violations are critically needed in regions across Pakistan, such as Balochistan, Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
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