THE socialist government in France, with its clean image, has suffered a setback when the French parliament kicked off a high-profile public probe after press reports that the budget minister, Jerome Cahuzac, had an undeclared foreign bank account. France’s Interior Minister Manuel Valls and Finance Minister Pierre are also being grilled by the parliament.

This is how democracy works, where those seeking public office are required to declare all their assets, bank accounts, etc, held in their name, or in the name of their immediate family members.

It is inconceivable for any public office holder in a democracy to be accused of tax evasion, tax fraud, non-payment of electricity dues, smuggling, land grabbing, or involved in any illegal financial or immoral deeds.

No elected individual, if caught, should be able to claim parliamentary breach of privilege to evade public scrutiny. Those who hold any elected or paid public office are expected to be judged on a higher moral yardstick than that applicable to ordinary citizens.

If corruption is to be contained in our country, the top-paid bureaucracy and members of the ruling elite have to be subjected to strict financial discipline and accountability, for the fish rots from the head.

Strict regulatory controls are an important part of good governance and this can only be achieved if those assigned to handle such jobs have undivided loyalty to Pakistan, hold no foreign nationality, no conflicts of interest and subjected to thorough public scrutiny before holding such assignments.

M.T. ALI Lahore