BAHAWALPUR, 28 JANUARY 2016: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) held a seminar at the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) as part of the National Road Show on Competition Law.

The seminar was attended by Zafar Sharif, President BCCI, CCP Members Shahzad Ansar, Ikram Ul Haque Qureshi, CCP Directors Asfandyar Khattak, Syed Umair Javed, Ikram Ul Haque, senior vice president, vice president and Members of the chamber in large number.

In his welcome speech, Zafar Sharif termed the implementation of the Competition Law crucial for the economy and appreciated CCP’s efforts to promote the voluntary compliance of the law. He said that BCCI will work together with CCP in creating awareness about the Competition Law and improving voluntary compliance of the law.

Addressing the participants, CCP Member Shahzad Ansar said that CCP has achieved the objectives of the Road Show on Competition Law and the credit of the success equally goes to the business community. The Road Show will go a long way in creating awareness, improving understanding of the Law and creating a better compliant business environment, he said and added that CCP will continue taking advocacy initiatives with the support of the business community. By holding the Road Show, CCP has spread its reach throughout the will help create a competition culture.

In the presentations made at the seminar, CCP Members briefed the participants on the substantive provisions of the Competition Act, procedures relating to filing of complaints, Merger filings, merger thresholds and other rules and regulations governing CCP. A detailed presentation by Ikram Ul Haque Qureshi, Member CCP, gave an overview of Competition Regime in Pakistan and the substantive provisions of the Competition Act, 2010. He informed the participants that compliance with the Competition Law protects businesses from anti-competitive activities and leads to innovation, lawful profits and business development. He encouraged businessmen to approach CCP for taking advice regarding mergers or any other matter related with the Competition Law.

Shahzad Ansar in his presentation on explained the role of the Office of Fair Trading in dealing with deceptive marketing practices. He shared the contact details of CCP to facilitate businessmen to file complaints with CCP regarding deceptive marketing practices.

In the interactive session, the participants highlighted various competition issues, particularly in the area of deceptive marketing practices and urged the resolution of these issues. CCP officials while noting down the issues vowed to look into them.