ISLAMABAD: The federal government has imposed a ban on direct interaction of government officers with foreign missions to seek favours as it is harming the prestige of Pakistan, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
These directions were issued by the Cabinet Division to all federal secretaries, provincial governments, their attached organisations and autonomous bodies.
The Cabinet Division has informed all the concerned top bosses of the Ministries and Provincial Chief Secretaries that there is a disconcerting tendency amongst federal and provincial government officers to directly approach foreign missions in Pakistan, as informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to seek various forms of favours and courtesies, in particular the Saudi Embassy for facilitation of Umrah during their official visits to Saudi Arabia.
“I am further directed to convey that this is a matter of very serious concern on several counts. For one, bypassing the proper channel, ie, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and directly approaching any foreign diplomatic mission is a violation of rule 56(1) of the Rules of Business, 1973, of section 30 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and, in the case of provincial government servants, of their relevant rules. Secondly, it compromises the dignity of the individual government servant who approaches any foreign mission.
And, even more disturbingly, not only does such undignified seeking of favours place the Government in an embarrassing position, but it also harms the prestige of Pakistan,” said Sabina Qureshi, Senior Joint Secretary, Cabinet Division, in a letter to all the federal secretaries and provincial governments.
The letter issued with the approval of Secretary Cabinet, says that it must be emphasised, at the cost of stating the obvious, that every government servant is obligated to comply with government rules and instructions, and any violation thereof, constitutes misconduct.
The Senior Joint Secretary accordingly has been directed to request that all federal secretaries and provincial chief secretaries may kindly issue strict directions to all government servants under their charge, including employees of attached departments, autonomous bodies and regulatory authorities, not to directly approach any foreign mission for any purpose, but to approach them through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that too only for official business.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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