Conflict of Interest of the highest Degree - Very interesting indeed

Pak Govt rules out leakage of information by Foreign Secretary
From our ANI Correspondent

Islamabad, Aug 17: The Pakistan Government has ruled out possibility of leakage of classified information to the US by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan through his spouse Susan R. Johnson who holds an important office in the US State Department.

“There is no reason to doubt his integrity,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khusro Bakhtiar.

He said Riaz Mohammad Khan was not Foreign Secretary when he married Susan, currently serving at the US State Department as senior coordinator Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Affairs in Washington.

Bakhtiar said that Khan had obtained prior permission from the government before marrying a US national.

He pointed out that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto also became Prime Minister while he was in wedlock with an Iranian national.

The house was informed that there were a total of 13 employees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were married to foreign nationals. Three of them, including the present foreign secretary, had married American nationals.

Senator Enver Baig said he did not doubt the integrity of the Foreign Secretary but anything could happen any time.

Baig said the Foreign Secretary was already on extension and was getting another extension.

“Is it because of US pressure,” the Dawn quoted him, as asking.

Who is doubting his intergrity, but there is something called conflict of interest… which simply means you do not do something which even appears to be conflicting… the word appears is very important which is the basis of ‘conflict of interest’ theory… however… in our country there is no rule of law and no ethics at all and everything comese from the top isnt it… morals, ethics, honesty, patriotism… so is it hardly surprising???

Re: Conflict of Interest of the highest Degree - Very interesting indeed

Definitely a conflict of issue scenario… but everyone knew this long before anyone made him the Foreign Secretary. Riaz has his job because a) croonie favourtism b) appease americans with a token insider c) merit.

DAWN link from two years ago: http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/25/nat16.htm