PESHAWAR, Aug 16 (APP):The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has barred all government servants from using social media to discuss or share information on issues relating to government business.
A notification issued here by the provincial Establishment department, however, said that if required the concerned official would take prior approval of the administrative secretary, head of the attached department or commission as the case may be.
It said that the decision has been taken under Rule-34(A) of the KP government servant (conduct) rules, 1987, adding that the competent authority has taken cognizance of the various instances wherein the government and civil servants were found participating in discussions on different social media platforms regarding matters about political issues, sectarianism and anti-state activities.
It said that rules 23, 24, 25, 28 and 29 of the KP government servants (conduct) rules, 1987 bar the government servants from expressing their views against the ideology and security of the country and from taking part in any public demonstration directed against a government decision or policy.
Referring to the Rule 25 of the said rules, the notification said that a government servant shall not appear in any programme of electronic media and give statements to print media which could embarrass the federal and provincial governments by any means.
It further said that under rule 21 of the government servants’ rules, no public servant is authorized to communicate directly or indirectly any official information or the contents of any official document to any unauthorized person or government servant, or the press.
The notification addressed to Additional Chief Secretary KP, Senior Members of the Board of Revenue, all administrative secretaries, all divisional commissioners, all deputy commissioners and heads of the attached departments in the province directed strict observance of the mentioned rules to avoid any legal action.