‘Women in Law’ session explores competition law

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

The session provided a platform for lawyers to engage with the regulator and discuss legal matters related to the practice of competition law. Attendees included senior officials from the CCP, office bearers from the IHCBA and WIL, and a large number of women lawyers.

In his keynote address, Salman Amin, member of the CCP, highlighted the commission’s commitment to promoting open and fair competition in the economy. He underscored the economic benefits of competition for both the economy and consumers, stressing the importance of a compliance regime that requires minimal intervention from the regulator.

Kishwar Khan, director-general of the CCP, informed participants about key components of competition law, including mergers and acquisitions, exemption criteria, prohibited agreements and abuse of dominance.

Nadia Usman Chaudhary, founder of the Women in Law Initiative Pakistan, reaffirmed WIL’s mission to advocate for gender equality within the legal profession. Meanwhile, Sibah Farooq, chairperson of the Committee on Legal Awareness at the IHCBA, provided an insightful overview of competition law in Pakistan, highlighting significant CCP orders that have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The session also featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Maryam Zafar, director at the CCP. Panellists included Shazia Ashraf, director at the CCP, and barristers Zainab N Khan and Zainab Janjua. This was followed by an interactive Q&A session with senior CCP officials.