Islamabad, Aug 9 (IANS) Media bodies have criticised Pakistan’s newly implemented Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, terming it a “direct assault on press freedom” and saying it amounts to “attacking the freedom of expression.”
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said that the guidelines implemented by the Pakistan government are a direct assault on press freedom and warned that the measures will further reduce Pakistan’s already low global media ranking. “The guidelines amount to attacking the freedom of expression and putting curbs on press freedom,” it said, Jurist News reported.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Pakistan government to recall these guidelines. Criticising the measures, Waliullah Rahmani, CPJ Afghanistan and Pakistan Representative, said: “The Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines open the door for Pakistani authorities to further restrict international media coverage, prevent journalists from reporting freely outside Pakistan’s three main cities, and risk exposing them to administrative retaliation.”
He said that these guidelines mark yet another “appalling blow to press freedom in Pakistan, where journalists are already facing an intense crackdown”, particularly those reporting on unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to CPJ, the newly issued guidelines were introduced days after the Pakistani government criticised international reporting on elections and protests in PoK and accused international media outlet Al Jazeera of engaging in “yellow journalism,” a term for sensational reporting. Subsequently, access to Al Jazeera’s website has been restricted in Pakistan.
Various international organisations urged the Pakistan government to end the escalating restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, including press freedom, access to information, and human rights advocacy. The organisations have demanded repeal of Section 26A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, Jurist News reported.
The statement of media bodies comes after Pakistan on Thursday announced enforcement of the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026. Under the guidelines, all international media organisations and the journalists working with them need to register themselves with the External Publicity Wing of Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
These guidelines cover all international print, electronic and digital media, including social media and internet-based platforms. Journalists need to take approval from the Pakistan government before visiting areas outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore for producing any news content, story, video, film, documentary, or social media content, Jurist News reported.
As per the guidelines, Pakistani authorities can suspend or revoke press accreditation for acts that it considers “against the ideology, sovereignty, security, or public order of Pakistan.” Foreign journalists who wish to travel to Abbottabad or Murree, which are near the PoK border, for “leisure purposes” need to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) as well.
These latest guidelines come against the backdrop of escalating unrest in PoK that has claimed more than 50 lives and left hundreds injured over the last few days. The actual death toll is expected to be significantly higher. The crackdown on peaceful protesters by the Pakistani forces drew international condemnation over the human rights abuses by Pakistani forces and the deteriorating state of media freedom in the occupied territory.
–IANS
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