Pakistan has imposed sweeping new restrictions on international media, effectively barring them from reporting in most of the country, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from journalist organisations. The rules, introduced shortly after the killing of dozens of protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, require anyone—including Pakistani nationals—to seek prior permission to report from anywhere outside the three major cities of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
New rules follow deadly protests
The sudden announcement came after the killing of dozens of protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, an event reported almost exclusively by international outlets. Al Jazeera’s website was restricted in Pakistan after it covered the protests and reported that people were boycotting regional elections in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan’s Kashmir. Pakistan’s information ministry dismissed the reporting as “yellow journalism,” a term used to describe sensationalised coverage. The website remains inaccessible without a VPN, though no formal ban has been announced.
The BBC also reported from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, quoting protesters who accused Pakistani security forces of firing on unarmed demonstrators. In response, Pakistani authorities issued a strong denial and ordered all journalists to leave the region immediately.
Pakistan’s press freedom record
Pakistan currently ranks 153rd out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index. While successive governments have imposed restrictions and censorship on local media, this marks the first time such curbs have been placed on international media. The new regulations, called the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, do not specify a timeframe for granting permission to journalists, leaving the process open-ended and subject to government discretion.
Nasir Zaidi, a former general secretary of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, said international media have been reporting objectively on protest movements, crackdowns on opposition parties, and the repressive political situation. “For decades, various governments have always tried to kill the news and they failed because of the reporting of international media and now it came up with these repressive rules to curb the movement of journalists. They don’t want the truth to be reported,” he said.
Worse than martial law
Zaidi, who was publicly flogged during the military dictatorship of Gen Zia ul-Haq for advocating media rights, said he had never seen such restrictions before. “Despite the fact I have worked during martial laws, but, such curbs and restrictions on international media were unseen. It is worse than martial law,” he added.
The guidelines also make accreditation and registration mandatory for international media outlets and journalists. They state that accreditation can be revoked for “acts against ideology, sovereignty, security or public order of Pakistan”—terms that legal experts and journalists describe as vague and open to interpretation.
Government denies blanket restriction
The government denies that the rules constitute a blanket restriction on journalists’ movement or media freedom. However, critics argue that the measures are designed to suppress reporting on sensitive issues, particularly those involving government actions.
“Pakistan is sending a very wrong message to the world with all these rules curbing free speech and freedom of international media,” said Zaidi. The restrictions come amid a broader crackdown on dissent, including protests over economic conditions and political repression, which have been met with violent responses from security forces.
