The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notification banning the use of social media and video streaming sites at its national secretariat in Islamabad and provincial offices across the country, it emerged Tuesday.

A letter sent to the provincial election commissioners of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan by ECP Deputy Director Syed A. Rahman Zafar said blocking the social media sites on ECP networks will minimise malware attacks and "ensure the discipline of using electronic resources up to the optimum level".

"...the Competent Authority has directed to block social media websites (i.e. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter etc.) on all networks of ECP secretariat as well as PEC offices including field offices with immediate effect," reads the letter dated March 31.

The provincial election commissioners have been directed to ensure the blockage of social media and streaming sites immediately through the cooperation of provincial general managers of PTCL and National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC).

A Microsoft report last year said Pakistan is one of the countries that attract the highest rates of attempted malware attacks.