PHC questions DC's TikTok activity

Court seeks PMRU reply on student video without consent

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has sought a response from the Director of the Performance Management and Reforms Unit (PMRU) over a petition challenging the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Swabi's act of sharing a video from an event at Women University Swabi on social media platform TikTok.

A division bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr. Khurshid Iqbal heard the petition filed by Advocate Muhammad Hamdan on Thursday. The petitioner informed the court that the DC attended multiple events, recorded videos, and shared them on his personal TikTok account instead of an official government platform.

He argued that while the government permits the use of platforms like Facebook and Twitter for official communication, the use of TikTok by public officials is unauthorized and raises serious privacy concerns — particularly when such content features individuals without their consent.

Justice Arshad Ali inquired where the TikTok video was filmed. The court was told that the DC recorded the video during a ceremony at Women University Swabi and uploaded it from his personal account. The video included footage of female students, allegedly shared without their permission.

Advocate Hamdan further argued that public officials are only permitted to share content through official government websites or verified accounts. At this point, Justice Arshad Ali questioned whether any departmental representative was present, to which the Additional Advocate General responded that none were in attendance.

Expressing concern, Justice Arshad Ali remarked, "What is going on here? These officers have created pages for self-promotion. This isn't for official use—it's personal branding on social media."

Following a brief recess, the Deputy Director of PMRU appeared before the court. Justice Arshad Ali asked him whether PMRU had issued any notification allowing such social media accounts and questioned the basis upon which every officer had started their own pages and was sharing all kinds of content.

The court directed PMRU to frame clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and submit a detailed report within 10 days. Justice Arshad Ali also cited a recent case where a District Police Officer used inappropriate language regarding civil judges on social media, emphasizing the need for regulation.

"The purpose of these accounts should be strictly official," he stressed. "We are monitoring everything. Videos featuring university students should not be shared online." The hearing was adjourned until July 10, with clear instructions for PMRU to submit its report before the next session.