PESHAWAR: The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has imposed ban on the use of social media by the government servants, to discuss or share information on issues relating to government business provided that the social media may, if required, be used with the prior approval of the administrative secretary, head of attached department or commission, as the case may be, for disseminating information among the general public regarding government initiatives for better governance, said a dispatch sent to Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), all administrative secretaries, all divisional commissioners, all deputy commissioners and all heads of the attached department in the province by the Regulation Wing of the Establishment Department on Tuesday.

Instructions in this regard have been under KP Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1987 to refrain Government/Civil Servants from participation in whatsapp and other social media platforms.

A dispatch in this regard has been sent to The instructions have been issued after coming various instances in the notice of the competent authority that civil/government servants are participating in Whatsapp groups and social media platforms where matters relating to political issues, sectarianism and anti-state activities are being discussed.

More, under the ibid Rules, no civil/government servants can participate in any media platform, except with the prior permission of the government.

Furthermore, it said Rules 23, 24, 25, 28 and 29 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1987 bar government servants from expressing their views against the ideology and security of Pakistan.

Through the dispatch the attention of the Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and heads of the attached departments have also been invited to Rule-25 of the rules ibid which stipulates that no government servant shall, in any document, published or any public utterance, radio broadcast or television program, or in any other manner make any statement of fact or opinion, which is capable of embarrassing the federal or any provincial government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023