What happened
All foreign media personnel will now require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) to travel to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for news coverage, according to newly issued guidelines.
The Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026 set out requirements for the registration and accreditation of “foreign media houses, organisations and outlets working in Pakistan and all eligible journalists, media owners, media professionals, sources, freelancers, sponsors, fixers, attached persons, assignees etc, of Pakistan working or contributing for them”.
What changes
Journalists already accredited or registered with the MOIB’s External Publicity (EP) Wing will need a mandatory NOC to move to any city except Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi in order to produce “news content, story, video, film, documentary or social media content”. For leisure trips to Abbottabad and Murree, the EP Wing may grant an NOC within three working days of a request.
The guidelines apply to all foreign or international print, electronic and digital media, including social media and web-based platforms.
Registration and accreditation
All journalists working with international or foreign media outlets must register with the EP Wing through a designated online registration and accreditation portal. Pakistani journalists residing abroad who contribute to foreign media must apply through the portal and forward their case through the nearest press attaché, counsellor, minister or embassy.
Companies, entities and production houses operating in Pakistan to facilitate foreign media “in any capacity” must also register, as must non-journalists living in Pakistan who render services to foreign media.
Registration “shall not confer any official status and only establishes professional recognition”, the notification said, and will be considered only when supported by a recommendation from the head of the organisation. There are two types of accreditation: permanent accreditation granted annually, and temporary accreditation for visiting journalists valid for a maximum of three months. Registration cards may be issued within seven working days, while accreditation cards may take four to six weeks.
Why it matters
The guidelines give the information ministry a say over where accredited foreign journalists can report, and extend oversight to digital and social media contributors as well as the local staff, fixers and companies that support foreign outlets. Media groups are likely to watch how the NOC requirement is applied outside the three exempted cities.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 4 August 2026.
- Dawn — "All foreign media personnel to require NOC from info ministry for news coverage outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi"4 August 2026 · The Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, the NOC requirement and the registration and accreditation rules.
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