ISLAMABAD: Government officials were barred on Wednesday from giving any information to the media.

A notification issued by the Establishment Division is this regard has been sent to all provincial, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir governments and federal ministries for implementation.

According to the notification, strict disciplinary action may be taken against a government official leaking information to the press and electronic media.

It has been issued to save the government from embarrassment caused by ‘leakage of premature’ information.

The notification issued by a deputy secretary said: “The undersigned is directed that frequent instances come to the notice of the government where official information and documents are communicated to the press/media and leakage of such information places the government in an embarrassing position. The government servants are prohibited under Rules 18 and 22 of Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and any infringement of these rules will be liable for action under the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973. In case of violation of these rules/instructions, the defaulting government servant may be proceeded against under the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973.”

According to sources, the decision was taken mainly because of a recent statement by Federal Investigation Agency’s Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi about the National Insurance Corporation (NICL) scam.