The federal government has imposed restrictions on government employees becoming members of foreign sponsored associations or clubs, suspecting that efforts might be afoot to collect secret information about sensitive areas of Pakistan, official sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday.
This warning has been issued in the backdrop of information gathered by the government agencies which suggested that Voice of America (VoA), an American broadcasting agency was engaged in collecting particulars of listeners living in sensitive areas of Pakistan, the sources added.
The Establishment Division has issued an Office Memorandum (OM) to all the Ministries and Divisions of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, asking them to follow government instructions in letter and spirit.
"Some clubs and associations formed by certain foreign broadcasting agencies are collecting information to know what exactly is the mindset of people living in the sensitive areas of the country," said the OM, issued by Muhammad Aftab Mahmud, Joint Secretary Establishment Division.
The Division is of the view that every government servant was duty bound to avoid doing anything for which he might have to compromise his position or place under any obligation whatsoever to any foreign mission, agency, organisation, association, club etc.
"Employees should exercise great care in the matter of social contacts with the members of foreign agencies and also refrain from becoming members of foreign sponsored clubs/associations and providing them personal particulars," it further said.
In this regard, all the Ministries and Divisions have been directed to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which bar the employees to have any contact with the foreign missions and agencies.