KARACHI: The Sindh government has been contemplating to bring in legislation on the issue of `conflict of interest` to check the unfair use of official authority, power and influence by government officials to further their own private interests or those of their friends and relatives, it emerged on Saturday.

Sources told Dawn that a cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the New Sindh Secretariat on Sept 19, deliber-ated upon the draft `Conniet of Interest Bill, 2016`.

They added that adviser to the chief minister on law, who is convener of the committee set up for the legislation purpose, informed the cabinet members that committee members in a meeting deliberated upon `various aspects` of the concept of the `conflict of interest` They arrived at the conclusion that the legislation could be made on this concept.

The Sindh cabinet decided that the committee would apprise the cabinet of the progress made in this connection at the next cabinet meeting, according to the min-utes of the meeting issued on Sept 29 and obtained by Dawn.

Sources in the law ministry said the draft law as practised in other provinces and developed countries was prepared in consultation with Additional IG Counter-Terrorism Department Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, who is PhD in law. It was discussed in the Sindh cabinet meeting, they added.

It was decided that the committee members would seek suggestions from all stakeholders for the legislation.

The police had earlier advised the Sindh government for legisla-tion on conflict of interest as `cardinal principle of governance` According to the draft `conflict of interest bill`, the public office holder would be in a conflict of interest when they exercised an official power, duty or function `to provide an opportunity to further his or her private interests or those of his or her relatives or friends or to improperly further another person`s private interests.

The proposed legislation said: `No public office holder shall use his or her position as a public office holder to seek to influence a decision of another person so as tofurther the public office holder`s private interests or those of the public office holder`s relatives or friends or to improperly further another person`s private interests.

Every public office holder shall arrange their private affairs in a manner to prevent to further private interests of the persons improperly.

The proposed draft law prohibited talcing `gifts`, which the giver intended to influence the public official to do or not to do some official act or to exercise an official power to give `preferential treatment` to any person or organisation.