Conflict of Interest Bill again delayed in KP Assembly

PESHAWAR: The much-trumpeted Conflict of Interest Bill has once again been delayed in the Khyber Pakhtunkwha Assembly after the Selection Committee of the House made some suggestions and approved amendments in the law related to the business or professional services of public office-holders including governor and chief minister of the province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prevention of Conflict of Interest Act, 2014 had been tabled in the provincial assembly in June 2014 but was apparently delayed for a long time to remove objections and reservations of some of the members from both treasury and opposition benches.
The bill was sent to a selection committee, headed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, after parliamentary leader of Qaumi Watan Party Sikandar Hayat Sherpao proposed some amendments in it.
Interestingly, the central leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf including its chairman Imran Khan had been frequently claiming that the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had passed the Conflict of Interest Bill in order to curtail the misuse or the influence of those holding public office in the province to promote their business. This time the proposed bill was delayed on the pretext that the entire House would read the amended draft and approve or disapprove the law, mostly related to the business of public representatives including members of provincial assembly, nazim and naib nazim in the local government system.
Sikandar Sherpao had proposed at least 12 amendments in the 65 clauses of the Conflict of Interest Bill, 2014, which earlier consisted of 24 pages and now has been reduced to 20 pages.
It seems that all the amendments had been placed in the proposed law, including Clause 17, which is relevant to the prohibited activities when a person deals in business while holding public office.
The proposed law puts strict restrictions on public office-holders to prevent them from exploiting official positions for furthering their businesses or private interests or those of their family members and friends. It also lays out rules for public office-holders in the two-year duration after their retirement.
According to the bill, the governor, the chief minister, lawmakers and all employees under the provincial government including corporations, banks, financial institutions, firms or organisations established, controlled or administered by the provincial government are the public office-holders. Local council nazims are also public office-holders.
The law defines conflict of interest as “when he (official) exercises an official power, duty or function or uses non-public information in a manner that provides an opportunity to further his private interest or those of his relatives or friends or to improperly further another person’s private interests.”