The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has successfully recovered a Rs5 million penalty from Wateen Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd, marking a significant win following a prolonged legal battle. The recovery was facilitated under Section 40(2)(a) of the Competition Act, 2010, allowing the CCP to attach the bank accounts of non-compliant entities.
The penalty was originally imposed after residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Lahore lodged multiple complaints regarding Wateen Telecom’s poor service quality and the lack of alternative providers. The CCP’s investigation uncovered an exclusive agreement between DHA Lahore and Wateen Telecom, granting the latter sole rights to provide telecommunication and media services in specific phases of DHA Lahore, a violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010.
In 2011, the CCP fined DHA Lahore Rs10 million and Wateen Telecom Rs5 million. While DHA Lahore paid its fine, both entities appealed the decision to the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT). In July 2024, the CAT upheld the penalties, leading the CCP to enforce the recovery of the outstanding Rs5 million from Wateen Telecom.
