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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) have expressed concerns regarding media freedom after the government mandated foreign media personnel to seek permission for travelling to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for news coverage.
“The requirement that journalists obtain state approval to report from large parts of the country sends a chilling message: that critical reporting is unwelcome,” HRCP noted in a statement on Wednesday about the ‘Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026’.
Expressing its deep concern, the commission said the rules would “invariably institutionalise bureaucratic control over news gathering and risk deterring independent reporting on matters of public interest” rather than facilitate journalism.
“This is the latest in a growing pattern of restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan. From arbitrary curbs on reporting and increasing censorship to legal and administrative barriers, the space for independent journalism has continued to shrink,” the rights body highlighted.
