Islamabad, Aug. 6 -- Pakistan's government has introduced a set of new restrictions, barring international media from reporting from outside the country's three main cities - Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi - unless they have obtained prior registration with the federal administration, prompting heavy criticism from media and rights groups over concerns about press freedom.
The Information Ministry circulated the directive on Monday through an international media messaging group. Under the ministry's newly introduced directives, all journalists working for international media organisations, including freelance reporters, must register with the ministry's External Publicity Wing and are also mandated to obtain Non-Objection Certificates (NOCs) b...