Islamabad Police Bans Social Media Use for Officers Across All Ranks
Officers and personnel across all ranks face restrictions on uniformed videos, personal publicity, unauthorised statements and sharing official material, while departmental communication will remain routed through authorised channels.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police has issued a comprehensive social media directive for officers and personnel across all ranks, placing restrictions on the use of police uniforms, official facilities and departmental information for personal social media activity.
Restrictions on Uniformed Social Media Content
According to the policy circulated to the force, police officers and personnel have been barred from making videos or taking photographs in uniform for personal publicity, fame, entertainment or glamour. The restrictions apply to content produced in official vehicles, government offices and private locations when police uniform or official identity is being used.
The directive also restricts officers and personnel from giving unauthorised statements to the media, speaking in their official capacity at public forums or publishing articles without obtaining the required departmental permission.
Police personnel have additionally been directed not to use social media platforms to publicly express personal political or religious views in a manner connected with their official position.
Confidential Information Barred From Social Media
Another major provision concerns departmental confidentiality. Officers and personnel have been prohibited from uploading or circulating confidential or official documents, photographs, records or other restricted departmental material through personal social media accounts.
Even social media content intended to highlight positive police activities will require formal departmental approval. According to the directive, approval must be obtained through the prescribed channel involving the DIG Headquarters and the Public Relations Branch.
Information concerning official Islamabad Police activities is to be released through the Public Relations Branch of the Central Police Office, establishing a centralised system for authorised departmental communication.
Unit Heads to Monitor Compliance
Unit heads have also been assigned responsibility for monitoring the social media conduct of officers and personnel serving under their command. Any violation of the policy may lead to departmental proceedings under applicable service rules.
The directive has reportedly been approved by Inspector General of Police Islamabad Captain (R) Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry and is to take effect immediately. Islamabad Police’s official website currently identifies Chaudhry as the IGP and Muhammad Jawad Tariq as DIG Headquarters.
Similar Restrictions Issued Previously
The latest instructions largely reflect a framework that Islamabad Police has used previously. In September 2024, similar restrictions were reported barring personnel from making uniformed videos for personal promotion, sharing official or confidential documents, giving unauthorised statements and expressing personal political or religious views through media platforms. A comparable policy was again publicly reported in July 2025.
The policy therefore represents a renewed emphasis on controlling how the police uniform, departmental information and official identity are used online, while placing responsibility for public communication through authorised institutional channels.
Islamabad Police has significantly expanded its own official digital outreach in recent years. An official departmental report for August 2025 said its verified platforms collectively published 2,975 posts across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok during that month, demonstrating the distinction the department has drawn between institutional communication and personal social-media activity by personnel.
