Peshawar:
The High Court of Peshawar (PHC) asked for a response from the Director of the Performance Management Unit and Reforms (PMRU) concerning a petition contesting the deputy commissioner (DC) of SWABI ACT to share a video of an event in Women University Swabi on the Tiktok social media platform.
A division bench including judge Syed Arshad Ali and judge Dr. Khurshid Iqbal heard the petition filed by lawyer Muhammad Hamdan on Thursday. The petitioner informed the court that the DC had attended several events, recorded videos and shared them on his personal Tiktok account instead of an official government platform.
He argued that, although the government authorizes the use of platforms like Facebook and Twitter for official communication, the use of Tiktok by civil servants is not authorized and raises serious confidentiality problems – in particular when this content presents individuals without their consent.
Judge Arshad Ali asked where the Tiktok video was filmed. The court was informed that the DC had recorded the video during a ceremony in Women University Swabi and downloaded it from his personal account. The video included images of students, who would have shared without their permission.
Lawyer Hamdan also argued that civil servants are only authorized to share content through official websites or verified accounts. At this stage, judge Arshad Ali wondered if a ministerial representative was present, to which the additional defender general replied that none was present.
Expressing concern, judge Arshad Ali pointed out: “What’s going on here?
After a brief recreation, the deputy director of the PMRU appeared in court. Judge Arshad Ali asked him if PMru had published a notification authorizing these social media accounts and questioned the basis on which each officer had started his own pages and shared all kinds of content.
The court ordered the PMRU to frame clear standard operating procedures (SOPS) and to submit a detailed report within 10 days. Judge Arshad Ali also cited a recent case where a district policeman used inappropriate language concerning civil judges on social networks, highlighting the need for regulation.
“The purpose of these accounts should be strictly official,” he said. “We monitor everything. Videos featuring university students should not be shared online.” The hearing was postponed until July 10, with clear instructions for PMRU to submit her report before the next session.
