Pakistan bans use of private email accounts for official correspondence

The federal government has imposed a blanket ban on the use of private and personal email accounts for official correspondence across all public sector institutions, including the Federal Board of Revenue, citing data security and confidentiality risks, and has directed ministries and departments through a formal circular to immediately discontinue the use of non-official email services in line with earlier instructions issued by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.

According to the circular, several government officers and institutions were still using private platforms such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail to exchange official documents, despite repeated advisories. The MoITT warned that such practices pose serious risks to national security, data confidentiality and information integrity.

The letter further notes that the National Telecommunication and Information Technology Security Board (NTISB) has consistently cautioned that private email servers are not part of the government’s secure digital infrastructure and remain vulnerable to cyberattacks, data leaks and unauthorised access.

Under the new directive, all official correspondence, including reports, formal documents and inter-departmental communications, must be conducted exclusively through registered government email addresses. Administrative secretaries and heads of departments have been instructed to ensure compliance and circulate the instructions to all subordinate offices without delay.

The government has also made it clear that any security breach arising from the use of unauthorised or private email platforms will be the responsibility of the concerned officer or institution.