ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), in collaboration with Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and Women in Law Initiative Pakistan, held a dedicated session titled ‘Competition Law & Practice’.

This session provided a platform for lawyers to interact with Regulator and discuss on matters pertaining to legal fraternity that is into practice of Competition Law. The participants included senior officials from the CCP, office bearers of IHCBA, WIL and a large number of female lawyers.

In his keynote address, Salman Amin (Member CCP) underscored the CCP’s commitment for promoting open and fair competition in the economy. Emphasising the significance, he highlighted economic benefits for economy and consumers. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of compliance regime with least intervention needed from the regulator. Later, Kishwar Khan (DG CCP) sensitised the participants on key components of Competition Law, including those related to the Mergers & Acquisitions, exemption criteria, prohibited agreements and abuse of dominance.

Later in her remarks, Nadia Usman Chaudhary Founder WIL (Women in Law Initiative Pakistan) outlined WIL’s mission of advocating for gender equality within the legal profession. Sibah Farooq (Chairperson Committee on Legal Awareness, IHCBA) provided an insightful retrospective of Competition Law in Pakistan, highlighting significant CCP orders including that were upheld by apex court also.

The session featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Ms. Maryam Zafar (Director, CCP), with contributions from Shazia Ashraf (Director, CCP), Barrister Zainab N. Khan, and Barrister Zainab Janjua, followed by an interactive Q&A session with senior CCP officials.

Concluding the event, Riasat Ali Azad (President, IHCBA) praised the collaboration and acknowledged the session’s significant role in enhancing the legal fraternity’s understanding of Competition Law and its significance in having a competitive economy. He also lauded the CCP's efforts in ensuring market fairness through robust enforcement. Towards the end, certificate distribution ceremony was jointly held by the CCP and office bearers of IHCBA and WIL.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024