ISLAMABAD – The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is conducting an in-depth Phase II Merger Review of PTCL’s acquisition of 100% shareholding in Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited and Orion Towers (Private) Limited. The review focuses on key aspects of the telecommunications sector, including market power concentration, competitive dynamics, and the potential impact of the proposed merger.
The CCP bench, led by Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu and Members Salman Amin and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, is ensuring a thorough and inclusive process, giving all stakeholders the opportunity to present their views. During a recent hearing, Asif Inam, Chief Operating Officer of Transworld Associates, along with Legal Counsel Ms. Rabia Kiyani, emphasized the need for both preventive and corrective measures, citing international regulatory practices from the UK, UAE, and KSA to safeguard competition through structural and behavioral remedies.
Telenor Pakistan was represented by Vice President Ms. Advokat Anette Aarset and Counsel Shabbir Harianawala, who defended the transaction. Previous hearings featured representations from PTCL, led by Senior Counsel Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan and Mustafa Munir Ahmed of Legal Oracles, with Wateen Telecom represented by Mian Sami-ud-Din of BNR, and Jazz by Khalid Ibrahim.
The CCP’s team included key officials such as Shahzad Hussain (Director General/Registrar), Barrister Ambreen Abbasi, Hafiz Naeem, Arshad Javed (Legal Department), Ms. Marryum Pervaiz (HoD Merger Department), Umer Sheikh (Joint Director), and Noman Ahmed (Assistant Director). The commission’s analysis will play a crucial role in determining the merger’s potential impact on competition in Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.
