Conflict of interest: PTI may call assembly session to discuss bill

PESHAWAR:

After receiving pressure from its top leadership, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is considering calling an assembly session to table the controversial Prevention of Conflict of Interest Bill; party insiders and officials at the assembly secretariat told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

The bill aims to prevent conflicts arising between private interests and public duties of public office holders. It also aims to establish an independent commission with the mandate to determine measures necessary to avoid such conflicts. However, with invariant opposition from the treasury as well the opposition benches from the beginning, the bill has not passed the floor of the house since the PTI-led government came into power.

Even after the longest session of its history, with 14 months on a trot and almost 80 sittings, the bill could not be passed.

While the government is considering passing the bill as an ordinance, no consensus could be developed on the issue. An insider privy to the matter said the top leadership has now asked the government to table the bill once again; he said the assembly might be called within a few days’ time.

At least two lawmakers from the opposition who were contacted also confirmed the developments. They reiterated the bill will be opposed by the opposition benches if it was laid in the house in its current form.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2016.