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Pakistan

Pakistan's 1962 Copyright Ordinance gives UK-style freedom of panorama, but drones face registration plus security permissions, and military or infrastructure subjects are strictly off-limits.

Verified Jul 1, 2026 2 official sources
Permit: conditionalPanorama: Full for buildings and 3D works (UK model)

Guidance, not legal advice

Rules change and enforcement varies. Confirm with the issuing authority before you shoot. Drone law depth lives at Drone Authority.

Drone Authority

Check the flight side

Photography access and drone permission are separate questions. Drone Authority covers the flight-law side for this country.

Permit

Conditional

Issuer: No permit for casual public photography; foreign media and commercial productions need government No Objection Certificates (NOCs), and some northern areas require travel NOCs

Personal photography needs no permit in ordinary public spaces. Foreign journalists and production crews need NOCs through federal ministries; certain regions (border zones, parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir) have their own access permissions.

Drone / airspace

Regulated by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority with registration requirements; in practice flights also depend on security permissions, and military zones, airports, and sensitive infrastructure are prohibited

Enforcement is security-driven and regionally uneven; confiscation is a real risk without documented permissions. Commercial aerial work needs special authorization. For depth, see Drone Authority.

Street / public space

Yes to photograph in public, with hard security exclusions

Do not photograph military personnel, police checkpoints, dams, power plants, airports, or anything near the Line of Control. Ask permission before photographing women, particularly in rural and conservative areas.

Freedom of panorama

Full for buildings and 3D works (UK model)

The Copyright Ordinance 1962, Section 57(r) and (s), permits making and publishing paintings, drawings, engravings, and photographs of architecture, sculpture, and works of artistic craftsmanship permanently situated in a public place or premises open to the public. Two-dimensional works are not covered. Wikimedia Commons classifies Pakistan as FoP OK for these categories.

Practical notes

  • The Karakoram Highway, Hunza, and Skardu are the draw; carry passport copies and expect checkpoint questions about cameras and especially drones.
  • Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, and other Mughal-era sites are permit-free for visitors and copyright-free as subjects; interiors may restrict tripods.
  • Treat any drone plan as a permissions project, not a packing decision; undocumented flying near sensitive areas can end with equipment seizure or worse.

Sources

Keep shooting

Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side:

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