ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, addressed a Press conference on Tuesday, refuting rumors claiming a lack of foreign journalists and observers for the upcoming general elections in Pakistan.
The minister, accompanied by officials including Secretary Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid, provided updates on the foreign media presence.
Solangi clarified that contrary to misinformation, several foreign media representatives were already present in Pakistan to cover the elections. He highlighted that 49 visas had been issued to observers and foreign journalists, with an additional 32 visa applications currently under process. In particular, 24 visa applications from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were in progress.
The minister emphasized that a total of 174 applications had been received from various media organizations. Beyond journalists, applications for election coverage were also under process for non-journalist categories, including those from the UK, Russia, and Japan.
Solangi reported that accreditation cards had been issued to numerous journalists within Pakistan, reaching a total of 6,065, distributed across major cities. He specified the distribution as 1200 from Lahore, 1470 from Karachi, 1050 from Peshawar, 600 from Quetta, 355 from Hyderabad, 250 from Faisalabad, and 290 from Multan.
International journalists and observers were being granted accreditation cards for coverage in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Solangi clarified that if a foreign journalist wished to cover elections in any other city, their application would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The minister acknowledged that the deadline for visa applications had passed on January 20 but assured that relevant institutions of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Ministry of Information were continuing to process applications on a case-by-case basis.
Ambreen Jan, Executive Director General External Publicity Wing, provided additional details, noting that visa applications for election coverage had been received from 14 countries. Of the 81 foreign journalists who applied for visas, 49 had been issued visas, with the remaining applications under review. She highlighted a code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan for media and election observers.
In response to questions, Solangi affirmed the state’s responsibility to protect its citizens and stated that necessary security measures would be taken to ensure the safety of foreign journalists and observers during the election period.
