Pakistan: Government employees ordered to avoid media

“Instances have come to the notice of government where its servants have interacted with the press/electronic media and contributed articles and writings in newspapers making statement of their opinion which is highly objectionable and places it in the embarrassing position.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: South Asian Media Net
By SAMN | October 2, 2011

The circular said that interaction of government servants with the media and their contribution through articles caused embarrassment to the government.

In an apparent attempt to stop the flow of embarrassing information to journalists, the federal government has asked its employees to stay away from media personnel.

A strict directive has been issued to employees barring them from interacting with reporters in any form.

An office memorandum (1/20/76/D-IV/ D-3) issued by the establishment division said the employees violating the directive would face punitive action under the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973.

It said: “Instances have come to the notice of government where its servants have interacted with the press/electronic media and contributed articles and writings in newspapers making statement of their opinion which is highly objectionable and places it in the embarrassing position.”


All such communications of opinion and articles by a government servant without prior sanction of the government are prohibited under the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1964.

The government justified the move by referring to Rules 21 and 22 of the Government Servants (Rules) 1964, which prohibit interaction of government servants with the media both (print and electronic) through participation in a radio or television programme or contribution to any newspaper or periodical, expressing views on government policy and political issues.

“Any violation of these rules may warrant punitive action under the Government Servants (E&D) Rules 1973,” the circular warned.

Press Information Officer Mohammad Saleem said the exercise was part of law and the directive had been issued to maintain discipline among government employees.

He said that while such directives were issued from time to time but it had also been observed since recent past that many officers appear on TV channels and speak over policy matters or reveal official secrets through their articles in the press.

He said the government officers who wanted to write something needed official permission and get clearance from the competent authorities over the matter that they were willing to write about.

Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told Dawn that the government believed in freedom of media but releasing official information without any authority was legally not correct and the government had a system of providing information and responding to the queries by the media.


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