ISLAMABAD: The Competition Appellate Tribunal has become fully functional after appointment of former Justice Miankhel as its Chairman on Wednesday.
The Federal Government has appointed Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, former Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court and former judge of the Supreme Court, as the Chairman of the Competition Appellate Tribunal for a term of three years.
The federal cabinet in its meeting held on Wednesday approved the appointment.
The Competition Appellate Tribunal has 212 cases pending its hearing. Since the Tribunal has not been functional for 7.5 years out of last 10 years, the undertakings have sought alternate remedy from High Courts. The number of such petitions in High Courts across the country is 140.
CCP welcomes the news. It is hoped that a functional Competition Appellate Tribunal will enable swifter decisions in the pending cases. The delays in deciding upon appeals had adverse impact on implementing essential CCP orders across various sectors, including sugar, cement, fertilizer, telecom, banks, and consumer goods.
Notably, the Tribunal will be hearing the sugar cartel case, wherein the CCP has imposed a substantial Rs44 billion penalty on the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and its member sugar mills.
Justice Miankhel, known for his judicial standing, takes on the role of Chairman as per the law. The law specifies that the Tribunal's Chairman must be a former Chief Justice of a High Court or a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Moreover, the Tribunal includes two technical members with expertise in international trade, law, economics, finance, and accountancy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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