Pakistan's government said the guidelines, issued on Sunday, are not to restrict media but to "provide an administrative mechanism" to verify media, facilitate access and co-ordinate reporting requirements. The new rules - called the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026 - do not set out how long gaining permission, known as a No Objection Certificate or NOC, can take. Under these new guidelines, any contributor, including freelancers, living outside the three specified cities would require NOC permissions to cover a story. "Quite clearly, these guidelines are a hastily and ill-thought-out attempt to further curb independent reporting in Pakistan." According to the government, the guidelines are used under rules of business and that as the Information Ministry's External Publicity wing are responsible for foreign media, the guidelines regulate the ministry's administrative relationship with foreign media.