Ban: to what end?

Pakistan has introduced restrictions on foreign journalists covering the country. According to Dawn, those reporting outside Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi now require government approval through a certificate system that can take up to three working days to obtain. Al Jazeera's website has become inaccessible from within Pakistan. The government cited the network's coverage of recent elections as "selective reporting," though it has not formally confirmed a block. On Wednesday, the BBC expressed concern, noting that its journalists require freedom of movement to work. This is the latest in a series of media restrictions in Pakistan — YouTube was blocked from two thousand twelve to two thousand fifteen, and X was blocked beginning in February two thousand twenty-four.

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