LAHORE, Nov 24: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is expected to inaugurate the three-day international conference on combating corruption in South Asia starting here on Thursday.

The conference is being hosted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A NAB news release said the event would help the South Asian nations in adopting measures such as establishment of anti-corruption bodies to enhance transparency in both the public and private sectors. Prevention of corruption in the judiciary and in public procurement is also the main concern of this conference.

The conference, the second being held by the NAB, will endorse the Pakistan government's commitment to cooperate with the comity of nations in combating corruption. Pakistan signed the UN Convention against Corruption in December 2003.

In order to firm up the government position on the UN Convention and to explore the possibilities of its ratification, an international conference was held in Islamabad in April 2004.

Pakistan is also a member of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering as well as of the ADB-OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific. In the wake of signing and expected ratification of the UN Convention by the government and to build a mutual front beyond the national borders, the NAB is closely engaging itself internationally, more so the regional counterpart anti-corruption agencies, in its fight against corruption.

International and regional anti-corruption experts, heads of the anti-corruption agencies of the Saarc member states and some dignitaries from across the country will participate in the conference.

The objectives of the conference include raising of awareness against negative effects of corruption and building a mutual front with the help of the counterpart anti-corruption agencies of the region, the release said.