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OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION

By
PROF DR SIDRA AMIR
PRINCIPAL GOVT QUEEN MARY GRADUATE
COLLEGE LAHORE

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FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

A Government communication may take any one of the

following forms:-

Official letter

Memorandum

Demi-Official Letter

Un-Official Reference

Endorsement

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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
A Government communication may take any one of the following
forms:-

Notification

Order

Circular

Resolution
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FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Press Communiqué/ Note

Telegram and Teleprinter

Message

Express Letter and

Office Order

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 OFFICIAL LETTER
 NORMALLY BE USED FOR:-
i) CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
ii) OTHER PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS
iii) PAKISTANI MISSIONS ABROAD
iv) FOREIGN MISSIONS IN PAKISTAN
v) THE HIGH COURT AND PUBLIC BODIES AND
INDIVIDUALS
 IT MAY NOT BE USED FOR:-
i) CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS OF THE SECRETARIAT
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 OFFICIAL LETTER

 AN OFFICIAL LETTER PURPORTING TO

CONVEY THE VIEWS OR ORDERS OF
GOVERNMENT, AS OPPOSED TO
DEPARTMENTAL OR PERSONAL VIEWS OR
INSTRUCTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS OFFICERS

 IT MUST SPECIFICALLY BE EXPRESSED TO

HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UNDER THE
DIRECTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

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 OFFICIAL LETTER

An official letter should be composed of the following:-

a) Letter head bearing the words “Government of the Punjab” and

the name of the Department.
b) Monogram of the department on the top left corner.

c) Telephone number of the sender on the top left corner.

d) Number and data of the letter including the place of issue.

e) Name and designation of the Head of the Department.

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 OFFICIAL LETTER
e) Designation and address of the addressee.

f) Subject

g) Salutation.

h) Text.

i) Subscription.

j) Name of the officer signing the letter in parenthesis.

k) Designation of the sender or of the officer on whose behalf the

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letter is issued.
 OFFICIAL LETTER
Monogram
Telephone No. of the Sender No. of the Letter
Government Of the Punjab
Name of the
Department
Date including the place of
issue

From:
Name and Designation of the Sender
To:
Designation and address of the addressee
Subject: __________________________________
Sir,
I am directed to -------(when purporting to issue under directions
from Government)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have the pleasure to -------- (when not purporting to issue under
direction from Government)

Your obedient servant,

Signature and Designation

of the sender
Particulars of document attached, if any
 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication addressed to non-officials, private

individuals or groups of individuals and organizations
should be in the letter form beginning with the
salutation “Dear Sir” and ending with the subscription
‘Yours truly’ followed by the signature and designation
of the person signing the letter.

Letters / demi-official letters, purporting to issue

directions from Government should begin with the
words, I am directed to ……/ I am desired to …..; in
other cases, the letter may begin with the words, ‘I
have the pleasure to’………
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 MEMORANDUM
A Memorandum may be used where a reference can
conveniently be made in a brief form without observing the
formalities pertaining to an official letter. The memorandum
form is normally used for correspondence with subordinate
offices or offices of equal status within the same Government.

It should also be used for correspondence between different

Secretariat Departments. The memorandum should be
composed of the following:-

i. Letter head bearing the words, ‘Government of the Punjab’

and the name of the Department.

ii. Monogram of the Department

iii. Telephone number of the sender shown on the top left hand
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 MEMORANDUM
iii. Number and date of the memo including the place of
issue.

iv. Designation and address of the addressee.

v. Subject.

vi. Text.

vii. Signature and name of the officer signing the memo in

parenthesis.

viii.Designation of the sender or of the officer on whose

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 MEMORANDUM
Monogram
Telephone No. of the Sender Letter head
Government
of the Punjab
Name of the Department /
Wing
Number, date and place of issue
of the memo

To:
Designation and address of the addressee
Subject: ___________________________

Reference: -----------------------------

Text: __________________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Particulars of document attached, if any

Signature
(Name of the sender in block
capitals)
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 DEMI-OFFICIAL LETTER

 This form of correspondence should be used between Government

officers when it is desired that a matter should receive the
personal attention of the individual addressed.

 It should therefore, be answered demi-officially by the officer to

whom the communication under reply is addressed or by his
successor in office.

 The first and the most common use of demi-official

correspondence is to supplements or explain any matter which has
already been referred officially or which it is proposed to be so
referred subsequently.
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 DEMI-OFFICIAL LETTER
 Secondly, demi-official correspondence may appropriately be used in
cases of extreme secrecy; in certain cases relating to matters of
personal nature; and occasionally in cases of great urgency to save
time.

 Demi-official correspondence should be avoided when an official

letter will serve the purpose.

 Subordinate officers usually are not required to address Government

either direct or demi-officially on matters of public importance. In
some cases
 officers adopt the demi-official form of correspondence to make
direct representations on matters such as promotion, postings, pay
and the like. In all such cases, regular representation should be made
through normal channels. 19
 DEMI-OFFICIAL LETTER
Demi-official correspondence should be filed with other
official correspondence on the subject.

A demi-official communication should be addressed to an

officer by name. It should be written in the first person
singular with the salutation ‘My dear –, or ‘Dear
Mr.__________’ and with the subscription ‘Yours sincerely’.

The salutation ‘My dear’ should normally be used for an

officer of equal status or for an officer one step higher in
status, and ‘Dear Mr.’, if the officer addressed is two or
more steps higher in status.
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 DEMI-OFFICIAL LETTER

 The name and designation of the sender should be typed under the
crest on the first page.

 The telephone number of the officer sending the communication

should invariably be indicated on the top left corner.

 The name and address of the person addressed should be written at

the bottom of the letter, beginning from the left margin, a space or
two below the writer’s signature.

 The covers of demi-official correspondence should be addressed by

name.
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 DEMI OFFICIAL LETTER
Letter head
D.O. No.________
Government Of the Punjab
Name of the Department / Wing
Dated Lahore, the _________ 2021
Telephone No of the Sender

Name, designation of the Sender

Subject: ___________________________

My dear __________ (when addressing officers of equal or junior status)

Dear Mr. __________(when addressing officers of senior status)

I am directed to (when purporting to issue under direction from

Government)
I am to (in other cases)
Text: ______________________________
______________________________

Yours sincerely,
Signature
(Name in block letters)

Name, designation and Address of the addressee

 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Un-Official Reference
 An un-official reference is normally used for making inter
departmental references between Secretariat departments
particularly, when files are sent to other departments for
information or advice.

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 ENDORSEMENT
a) A copy of a communication is to be forwarded to others in
addition to the original addressee e.g. “a copy (with copy of
the letter replied to) is forwarded to ___________ for
information and guidance / for necessary action / for
compliance”.

b) Copies of orders etc. received in or issued from a

Department are sent to other Departments or officers for
information and / or action. If any action is required, brief
instructions regarding the action to be taken should be
given.

c) Copies of Government sanction to expenditure or approval

to schemes are to be endorsed to the Audit Officer
concerned by way of authorization of expenditure / financial
commitment. 25
 ENDORSEMENT

Endorsement should normally be addressed by

designation. It should be written in third person and
should bear no salutation or subscription except the
signature and designation of the officer signing it.

When the endorsees are more than one in number the

signature and designation of the officer signing the
endorsement should appear at the end of the last
endorsement and not after every individual
endorsement.

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 ENDORSEMENT
Monogram
Telephone No
Government Of the Punjab
Name of the Department / Wing
Date (Place of issue)

No. ___________________ The Governor of the Punjab is pleased to

It is hereby notified that

Text: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

Name in block letter

Designation of the issuing Authority
ENDORSEMENT
No. _____________
Dated ____________
A copy is forwarded to -------
All concerned
ENDORSEMENT

No. _____________
Dated ____________
A copy is forwarded to the Superintendent, Government Printing Press, Punjab,
Lahore for publication in the next issue of the Government

Signature
(Name in block letters)
Designation of the Officer issuing the
endorsement
 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Notifications

Notification is to be used for notifying appointments,

postings, transfers etc. of officers of Grade 16 and
above and also for publishing rules, orders, bills,
ordinances etc. in the official gazette.

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 NOTIFICATION
Monogram of the Department

Letter head
Government Of the Punjab
Name of the Department / Wing
Dated (Place of issue)

NOTIFICATION

No. _________The Governor of the Punjab is pleased to

It is hereby notified that

Text: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

(Name in block
capitals)
Designation of the Issuing
Authority
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 ORDER
Monogram
Letter head
Government Of the
Punjab
Name of the
Department / Wing
Dated (Place of
issue)
ORDER No. ___________ Text: _____________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Name
Designation of the Issuing
Authority
Issuing the order
No & Dated (place of issue )
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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Press Communiqué or Press Note:-

This form is used when it is sought to give wide
publicity to a Government decision or policy through
the press

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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

News Ticker:-
This form is widely used when it is sought to give wide
publicity to a Government decision or policy through
electronic media

It resides in the lower third of the Television screen on

television news networks dedicated to presenting
headlines or minor pieces of news

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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Telegram and Teleprinter Messages:-

 A telegram should be issued only on occasions of urgency. As fast
air-mail services exist, no telegram should be sent if a letter is
without an appropriate priority.

 Marking can serve the purpose. Where Teleprinter service exists,

maximum possible use should be made of it in preference to
telegrams and telephones.

 The text of a telegram or Teleprinter message should be brief and

clear but clarity should not be scarified for the sake of brevity.

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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
 The practice of typing telegrams in capital letters is not
recommended; they are more difficult to read.

 Figures should be written in words e.g. 19365 should be

typed ‘Nineteen thousand three hundred and sixty five’.

 The priorities are as follows: -

 ‘Ordinary’, ‘Express’, ‘Important’, ‘Immediate’, or ‘Most

Immediate’. The priority desired, should be clearly
indicated on the typed copy. ‘Immediate’ and ‘Most
Immediate’ telegrams should be sent only on the authority
of a Secretary Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary.
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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
In all cases (expect cypher telegrams) post copies of
telegrams should be sent in confirmation.

When a telegram is to sent in cypher, the message

should be drafted in normal and not in telegraphic
English. Cypher messages should be transmitted
through the Cypher Bureau located in the Services.
General Administrations and Information
Department.

Instructions with regard to the grading, editing and

numbering of these telegrams issued by the Services.
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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

General Administration and information Department on

the subject should be carefully observed. Cypher
messages should be avoided as far as possible
because:-

a) They are expensive.

b) They involve delay in encoding and decoding and

c) The security of the cypher is likely to be

compromised by its indiscriminate use.
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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Express Letter – This is an original message sent by
post to save telegraphic expense but intended to be
treated on receipt with the same expedition as if it had
been telegraphed. Since the original message is sent by
post, however long it may be, it is not necessary to use
telegraphic language for purposes of economy in words
and expense as in the case of a telegram.

Office order – This form should be used for conveying

instructions to be followed in Department / office and
for notifying appointments, promotions, leave etc. of
subordinates.
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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
OFFICE ORDER
Letter head
Government Of the Punjab
Name of the Department / Wing

Dated Lahore, the _________ 2021

Text: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

Signature
(Name in block capitals)
of the issuing authority and
Designation

No. ______________ Dated (Place of the issue) the

A copy is forwarded to:-
1)
2)
3)

Signature
(Name in block capitals)
of the issuing authority and
 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

ELECTRONIC MAILS
 – A method of exchanging messages (mails) between
people using electronic devices

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DRAFTING OF LEGAL
DOCUMENTS
Civil Suits, Writs, Plaints, Petitions, References
Annotated Replies to Civil Courts
Annotated replies to PSTs
Parawise Comments for High Courts &
Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Preliminary Objections
Report of the case
Annotated Replies or Parawise Comments
THANKS

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