The federal government has instructed its organizations to utilize social media platforms to engage with the public and gather feedback on government policies.
This directive was issued through an Office Memorandum by the Establishment Division, emphasizing the need for compliance with existing conduct rules for government servants.
The memorandum references previous instructions under the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which outline the conditions under which government employees may participate in media forums, including social media.
According to these rules, government servants require express permission to engage in media activities and are prohibited from sharing official information with unauthorized individuals or making statements that could embarrass the government.
Specifically, Rule 18 restricts the unauthorized disclosure of official information, while Rule 22 prohibits statements that could embarrass the government. Additional rules prevent government servants from expressing views against Pakistan’s ideology, national security, or public order, and from engaging in political or sectarian discourse.
Despite these guidelines, it has been observed that some government employees use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram to express personal views, sometimes engaging in activities that do not align with official conduct standards. These activities include unauthorized information sharing, political commentary, and sectarian remarks.
To address these issues, the government has reiterated that the same standards applied to public speaking and print media also apply to social media use. Government servants are reminded not to disclose official information, engage in political discussions, or spread unauthentic information. They are also advised to avoid disparaging remarks and maintain the values of the Civil Service.
The memorandum clarifies that these instructions are not intended to discourage constructive use of social media by government organizations. Instead, they are encouraged to engage with the public for feedback on policies, service improvements, and complaint resolution. However, organizations must monitor their social media platforms to remove offensive or inappropriate content.
All government servants are required to adhere to these instructions, and violations will be considered misconduct, subject to disciplinary action under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. Administrators of group platforms, if they are government employees, will also be held accountable for any violations.
Federal Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, Service or Cadre Administrators, Chief Secretaries, and heads of Civil Services Academies are tasked with ensuring the implementation of these instructions across all federal government occupational cadres.
