The guidelines, issued by the information ministry on August 3, also apply to freelance reporters and Pakistani nationals working for foreign media. Rights groups and journalists’ organisations have urged the government to withdraw the requirements. It described the move as part of a wider pattern of restrictions, warning that the space for independent journalism continues to shrink. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for restored access to information and independent reporting. Pakistan’s information ministry also criticised Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Kashmir polls, accusing the broadcaster of “yellow journalism” and selective reporting.