ISLAMABAD:
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that around 50 foreign journalists had arrived in Pakistan for the “Islamabad talks”.
“Journalists from various countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Germany and Korea, have submitted visa applications to cover the negotiations,” he said in an interview with state broadcaster PTV.
Tarar noted that yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that visas on arrival would be available for Iranian and American journalists, adding that journalists from around the world were arriving in Pakistan to cover the issue.
“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has provided all necessary facilities for journalists under one roof at Jinnah Convention Centre,” Tarar said. “A high-speed internet connection, printers, computers and screens have been installed, and all facilities necessary for carrying out journalistic functions have been made available.”
Furthermore, the minister said that Islamabad’s red zone was close to the center, which made it easy for journalists to carry out their coverage.
“An effort has been made to bring all the facilities together in one place so that journalists do not face any difficulty in their coverage,” Tarar said. “We welcome foreign journalists who come to cover us,” he added.
Earlier, Tarar, in an article on
He said: “All arrangements are in place to best facilitate foreign and local journalists.” The center was established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, he said, adding: “We will take good care of them.”
Meanwhile, journalists crowding around the Jinnah Convention Center are eating away at the clock.
The convention center often hosts award ceremonies and other major productions; it now hosts a legion of journalists and producers to cover the main event.
The press is well equipped for lengthy negotiations. Plenty of free coffees are available, as well as a curry buffet and barbecue for lunch and dinner.
Ministry of Information staff are available for technical and logistical support, and the center’s main hall is decorated with diplomatic decor – huge banners tout the “Islamabad Talks” with the American, Pakistani and Iranian flags arranged in the center.
Similarly, a big board on the convention hall announces #IslamabadTalks for social media enthusiasts. A bank of sofas for tired journalists is arranged directly in front of the screen.
A day earlier, Dar had said that delegates and journalists from participating countries coming for peace talks would be issued visas on arrival in Islamabad.
He said that “Pakistan welcomes all delegates, including journalists from participating countries, traveling in connection with the Islamabad 2026 talks. To this end, all airlines are requested to allow all such persons to embark without visa. The immigration authorities of Pakistan will issue them visa on arrival.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi further clarified that visa on arrival only applies to delegates and journalists from participating countries, namely Iran and the United States. “This facility, extended for the duration of the negotiations, does not cover third-country nationals,” he added.
The government introduced the facilities as top officials from the United States and Iran prepare to hold historic talks in Islamabad today, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling the high-stakes negotiations a “watershed moment” for peace.
