A double shame: ‘don’t leak’ letter leaked to the media
ISLAMABAD: Instead of putting its own house in order, the Gilani government feels embarrassed when the media highlights its corruption and grey areas.
Now the government servants have been ordered not to leak or share any information to the media, says an official letter of the Establishment Division.
Interestingly, the letter that strictly bars government officers from leaking any document or information to media was itself leaked to the media on Wednesday. The Establishment Division’s letter bearing No.1/20/76/D-IV/D-3 dated July 02,2011 with the signatures of one Muhammad Ijaz Ghani, Deputy Secretary was issued to all the Secretaries/Additional Secretaries, Incharge of ministries/divisions, Islamabad/Rawalpindi and to all the chief secretaries of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, mentioning severe action against the government servants who were found leaking official information to the media.
The letter also negated the perception that the media revelations were falling on deaf ears on the Gilani government, as it mentioned that the government felt embarrassed when the media highlighted certain issues pertaining to the government.
The letter says: “The undersigned (Deputy Secretary) is directed to state that instances have come to the notice of the government where official information/documents are communicated to the press/media and leakage of such information places the government in an embarrassing position.
Communication to the press/media or to a government servant unauthorized to receive it or to a non-official person of any statement of fact or opinion or other information by a government servant which is likely to embarrass the government is prohibited under Rules 18 and 23 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and any infringement of these rules is cognisable under the government Servants (Efficiency and discipline), 1973.
It is, therefore, imperative to bring these provisions of Rules to the notice of all government servants for strict compliance. In case of violation of these Rules/instructions, the defaulting government servants may be proceeded under Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline), 1973.” It is worth mentioning here that the Interior Ministry had also banned its officers from sharing any information with the media.
Source: The News
Date:7/14/2011
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