The Establishment Division has cancelled every no-objection certificate and permission issued to federal civil servants under the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, through an office memorandum issued on 12 August 2026. All previously valid approvals stand withdrawn with immediate effect, and affected officers must now seek fresh permissions under the Civil Servants Conduct Rules, 2026.

Which permissions were revoked

The memorandum cancels all NOCs and permissions granted under Rules 6, 16, 18, 20, 21, and 22 of the 1964 conduct rules. These covered a broad range of activities: employment in private enterprises, column writing, submitting articles to newspapers and magazines, appearing on radio and television programmes, delivering public speeches, and accepting awards, titles, and honours from foreign governments, institutions, or individuals. Permissions relating to the disclosure or transmission of government documents and official information to unauthorised persons or the media were also withdrawn.

The 1964 rules themselves were repealed in April 2026, when the Establishment Division notified the Civil Servants Conduct Rules, 2026 through a Statutory Regulatory Order under the Civil Servants Act, 1973, following the prime minister's approval.

Who must reapply

The directive applies to officers across all federal service groups. The Establishment Division has specifically notified the Pakistan Administrative Service, the Police Service of Pakistan, the Secretariat Group, and the Office Management Group, but other occupational and service groups are also covered. Any officer who held a valid permission under the old framework must now submit a fresh application under the 2026 rules; existing permissions cannot be relied upon as authorisation.

Sources within the division indicated that the record of all NOCs and permissions obtained since 1964 will be compiled afresh in light of the new rules. The memorandum has been circulated to all federal ministries, divisional secretaries, chief secretaries of the provinces, and inspectors-general of police for implementation.

Foreign awards and media disclosures

Two categories singled out in the memorandum are foreign honours and contact with the media. Civil servants who wish to accept an award, title, or honour from a foreign government, institution, or individual must obtain a fresh NOC under the 2026 rules before doing so. Similarly, any disclosure or transmission of official documents, or of government-related information, to the media or to unauthorised persons now requires prior permission under the updated framework.

How to seek fresh approval

Affected officers must submit a new application for each permission they previously held. The process requires:

  • Identify each activity currently covered by a permission granted under the 1964 rules.
  • Prepare a fresh application addressing the corresponding provision of the Civil Servants Conduct Rules, 2026.
  • Submit the application through the prescribed departmental channel to the Establishment Division.
  • Do not rely on any pre-existing NOC while the fresh application is pending.

Officers who hold multiple permissions: for instance, to write a newspaper column and to retain a private-sector affiliation: will need to file separate applications for each.

The Establishment Division has not yet published a standardised application form or specified a deadline by which fresh applications must be submitted. Nor has it indicated whether approvals granted under the 2026 rules will carry an expiry date or require periodic renewal. Further administrative instructions may clarify these points in the coming weeks.