Appointment of PHED minister: KP govt accused of violating conflict of interest law

PESHAWAR: The caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been accused of violating the conflict of interest law by awarding the portfolio of Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) to a minister whose factory is the major supplier to the department.

The business community leaders said that the appointment had put the minister in a position to derive personal benefit from the actions and decisions made in his official capacity.

They said it had led to a situation which will leave the competitors of the minister’s firm at a disadvantage in their business relations with the department.

The caretaker government gave the portfolio of the PHED to Haji Fazal Elahi, who is owner of Royal PVC Pipe factory that is registered with the department. The Royal PVC is one of the major and regular suppliers to PHED.

Some members of the business community of the province have taken exception to the decision of the caretaker government and deemed it against the Conflict of Interest Act 2016.

Talking to The News, a businessman referred to a similar situation that had arisen due to the appointment of the caretaker minister of education in the Punjab province who is also owner of a chain of private schools.

He said the appointment of the PHED minister, who was also holding the portfolio of Energy and Power, contravened the provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act which established clear conflict of interest in the post-employment principles for the public office holders.

The law, he said, also prevented the possibility of conflicts arising between the private interest and public duties of a public office holder.

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Zahidullah Shinwari also shared the view of the business community on the appointment of the minister. However, he avoided making direct comment on the matter.

He said that on the same analogy the portfolio of education minister in the Punjab interim cabinet was also changed. He said that Punjab caretaker government faced strong resentment from general public over the portfolio of education given to caretaker minister Ch Faisal Mushtaq as he owned a chain of private schools. It forced the provincial government in Punjab to withdraw the portfolio of Higher Education, Schools Education, Special Education, Literacy & Non-Formal and Basic Education from Ch Faisal Mushtaq on June 19.

He was then given the portfolio of Human Rights & Minority Affairs, Population Welfare and Social Welfare Department and Baitul Maal.

Zahid Shinwari said he had been told that the matter had been brought into the notice of caretaker chief minister retired Justice Dost Muhammad Khan.

He said that not only the caretaker but also the elected government should avoid the award of portfolios where the question of conflict of interest arose.

The minister’s office was contacted on Monday to obtain his comment on the matter. The office secretary told this scribe that Fazal Elahi was in Islamabad and would contact the reporter on his return. However, he neither returned the call nor offered any comment on the matter.