A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF REGULATING AND MONITORING CONFLICT OF INTEREST PERSPECTIVE IN PAKISTAN

Conflict of interest can occur in the organization of any size, extent and magnitude. Both financial and non-financial conflicts of interests are widespread and the most common prescribed remedy is disclosure. The purpose of the conflict of interest legislation is to ensure that government personnel while performing their official duties not influenced by personal or vested interests and the resulting decision will solely be based on public interest. Conflict of interest laws attain two objectives. First, the public servants and ministers should be proscribed certain blatant conflicts in official duties and barred while awarding contracts to an organization where they have an interest or potential interest of their own, family or associates. Second, the law requires curtailing the capacity of a private interest to influence the effective performance of public service by disclosing their shareholdings and other assets. Despite the law and regulatory frameworks exist in Pakistan, the constitutional requirements followed by civil servants in bureaucracy, public officials in public sector entities and ministers in government are flagrantly infringed.