Pakistan has introduced new conduct standards for public officials under the Civil Servants Conduct Rules 2026, replacing the older 1964 framework and immediately applying the revised code to civil servants serving both inside the country and abroad. The new rules tighten controls over social media use, reinforce political neutrality, and make asset declarations a central compliance requirement.
The changes were notified by the Establishment Division after approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Official Establishment Division materials publicly available online also show a continuing government focus on conduct regulation and asset declaration for civil servants.
Under the new framework, all government employees must declare their assets. Officers in Grade 17 and above will have to submit annual disclosures through a digital portal, with the Federal Board of Revenue auditing those declarations, and some information potentially being made public in the name of transparency.
Pakistan Civil Servants Conduct Rules & Restrictions
One of the most striking features of the new framework is its approach to online activity. Civil servants can no longer run blogs, vlogs, or media platforms without prior approval, and they may not share official information through personal social media accounts.
Authorities can request details of employees’ personal online accounts at any time. That signals a much tougher approach to how public servants manage digital visibility and public commentary.
Official Establishment Division instructions, already in force before this update, had barred government servants from participating on media platforms, including social media, without the government’s express permission. That earlier policy background helps explain the direction of the 2026 rules.
The 2026 rules also reinforce political neutrality. Civil servants are barred from participating in political activity, backing political groups, or publicly criticising government policy.
In addition, the rules prohibit officials from using their positions for self-promotion. They also restrict gifts, benefits, and participation in decisions where an employee has a financial interest. Prior approval is also required before accepting foreign awards or titles.
That combination suggests the government wants the revised framework to go beyond discipline and move toward stronger conflict-of-interest controls.
Civil servants are no longer allowed to take on part-time or full-time jobs with private companies, banks, NGOs, or foreign entities while in service. It also says the rules ban publication of any material that could expose sensitive or confidential information.
Taken together, those provisions broaden the reach of the conduct framework to include side employment, disclosure, and professional independence. They also indicate that the new rules are designed to regulate not only official conduct in office, but also behaviour in public and digital spaces.
The government says the purpose of the changes is to strengthen integrity, discipline, and accountability across the public sector.
