New Guidelines Implemented for Use of Social Media by Government Servants

The federal government has asked government organizations to use social media platforms to engage with the public to solicit feedback on a government policy.

The establishment Division on Monday issued an Office Memorandum regarding the use of social media platforms by government servants.

“Kindly refer to this Division’s Circular No. 1/20/1976-D:3 dated 23rd July 2020 and O.M F.No. 14/04/2021-D-II dated 25-08-2021 whereby detailed instructions under Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, governing the participation of government servants in different media forums including social media platforms were issued for compliance,” stated the letter.

Under the Rules ibid, no government servant can participate in any media platform except with the express permission of the Government.

Rule 18 of the Rules ibid bars a government servant from sharing official information or documents with a government servant unauthorized to receive it or a private person or press.

Further, Rule 22 of the Rules ibid refrains a government servant from making any statement of fact or opinion that is capable of embarrassing the Government in any document published or in any communication made to the press or in any public utterance or television program or radio broadcast delivered by him or her.

Furthermore, Rules 21, 25, 25-A, and 25-B of the Rules ibid bar a government servant from expressing views against the ideology and integrity of Pakistan or any government policy or decision. Besides, they also bar a government servant from offering views on any media platform which may either harm the national security or friendly relations with foreign states; offend public order, decency or morality; or amount to contempt of court or defamation or incitement to an offense; or, propagate sectarian creeds.

Despite the aforementioned instructions and the guiding legal framework, it has been observed that government servants often engage themselves with social media i.e. websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking/virtual communities / online groups.

They, while using different social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Microblogging to air their views on a host of subjects, sometimes indulge in actions or behavior that does not conform to the required standards of official conduct, as well as to abstain from following trends, affiliating with political parties participating in press conferences/media talk or engaging in business promotions without prior permission as envisaged in the Rules ibid.

Such actions range from unauthorized relaying of official information to disseminating the wrong or misleading information to airing of political or sectarian views or propagating comments based upon cast and creed etc. In view of the foregoing, it is expedient to issue the following instructions for governing use of social media platforms by government servants.

The same instructions as apply to government servants while speaking at public fora or publishing articles in print media, shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the use of social media by them.

As provided in Rule 18 of the Rules ibid, they shall not indulge in unauthorized disclosure of the official information or sharing of the official documents they come across during performing their duties, via social media.

In order to maintain their impartiality and objectivity in performance, they shall not partake in any discussion on social media or exchange or forward information or messages that express their opinion on political issues.

They shall not participate in furthering of any information, especially pertaining to government matters that, prima facie, appears to be unauthentic and misleading.

They shall not make any disparaging remarks aimed at any individual or group or sect or faith and shall uphold values guiding the Civil Service at all times. They are advised to observe discretion and moderation in use of the Social Media and uphold high standards of propriety.

It is, however, clarified that the instructions contained at para 4 are not intended to discourage any constructive and positive use of social media by a government organization for engaging with the public to solicit feedback on a government policy, suggestions for improvement in service delivery and resolution of their complaints.

However, such an organization shall edit their social media platforms continuously or frequently to remove offensive,
inappropriate and objectionable remarks.

All government servants are required to comply with the above instructions in letter and spirit; These may, therefore, be circulated to all government servants belonging to all the occupational cadres falling in the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. Violation of one or more of these instructions will be tantamount to misconduct and shall invite disciplinary action against the delinquent government servant under Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. Further, in case of a violation committed on a group platform, the Administrators or the ‘Admin’, if they ate serving government servants, shall also be liable to disciplinary proceedings.

All Federal Secretaries/Additional Secretaries (Incharge)/Service or Cadre Administrators/Chief Secretaries/Incharge Civil Services Academies are requested to ensure implementation of the above instructions.