Civil servants prohibited from taking part in political affairs in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan has introduced new regulations governing the conduct of civil servants, placing significant restrictions on their social media use and political activities.

The new regulations, titled the ‘Civil Servants Conduct Rules 2026’, have been formally notified by the Establishment Division following approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

It replaces the decades-old 1964 conduct rules and applies immediately to all Pakistani civil servants, both within the country and abroad.

Under the updated rules, all government employees are now required to declare their assets. Officers in Grade 17 and above must submit annual declarations through a designated digital portal.

These disclosures will be audited by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), with some information potentially made public in the interest of transparency.

The government of Pakistan, through revised regulations, also imposed tighter controls on online activity.

Civil servants are prohibited from running blogs, vlogs, or media platforms without prior approval, and may not share official information on personal social media accounts.

Authorities have been granted the power to request details of employees’ personal online accounts at any time.

The rules further ban the use of official positions for personal promotion and restrict the acceptance of gifts or benefits that could influence official duties.

Officials must distance themselves from decisions where they have a financial interest, and prior government approval is required before accepting any foreign awards or titles.

Under the new rules, political neutrality has also been reinforced. Civil servants are barred from participating in political activities, supporting political groups, or publicly criticising government policies.

In addition, the rules prohibit government employees from taking up any part-time or full-time roles in private companies, banks, non-governmental organisations, or foreign entities during their service.

The rules also restrict the publication of material that could risk disclosing sensitive or confidential information.

The government says the measures are aimed at strengthening integrity, discipline, and accountability within the public sector.