Social media is one of the most used platforms where people love to spend hours there. The place where people enjoy and express their feelings.
The Punjab government took the liberty to eliminate the rights to share your views on social media.
Today, the Punjab government has announced to bar college teachers from using social media and sharing any views on it. It’s a huge step, which will affect badly because there’s no point in restricting teachers from sharing their views.
The rules and directions issued by the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) Colleges on the use of social media platforms. All public sector divisional director colleges and principals will follow the directions.
‘It Was Against The Rules Of Service’-Punjab Government’s Directions
The Punjab government has issued the whole document of rules that need to be followed while using social media.
As they stated, “under the Rules, no government servant can participate in any media platform except with the express permission of the government.
Rule 18 of the Rules bars a government servant from sharing official information or documents with a government servant unauthorized to receive it or a private person or press.”
Continued to explain the rules, Rule 22 of the Rules refrains a government servant from making any statement of fact or opinion which 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.
‘Views Harm The National Security Or Friendly Relations With Foreign States’-Punjab Government
Punjab government didn’t stop there, they also put all the restrictions on government servants too.
But according to the state authority, “their views may harm the security or friendly relations with foreign states.”
As they stated, “it has been observed that government servants often engage themselves with social media i.e. websites and applications.
It enables 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, microblogging, etc. 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 envisaged in the Rules ibid.
Punjab Government took this action just to please other countries and maintain Pakistan’s relation which looks senseless.
No doubt, social media provides the best platform for the audience to share their opinions on current affairs and other stuff going on. But this liberty was also taken by the Punjab government.
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