Islamabad High Court Dismisses Telecom Companies’ Appeals Against Competition Commission

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court has dismissed petitions filed by major telecom companies against the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). The court rejected applications from Jazz, Telenor, Zong, Ufone, Warid, PTCL, and Wi-Tribe, affirming that the CCP has the authority to conduct inquiries across all sectors, including telecommunications.

The dispute arose after the CCP issued show-cause notices to telecom companies over allegedly misleading marketing of “unlimited internet” packages. The notices, first challenged in 2014, pertained to additional prepaid fees labeled as “service maintenance charges.” PTCL had also sought a stay on an inquiry regarding discriminatory pricing in fixed local loop services.

The court emphasized that the Competition Act covers all sectors of the economy and that even regulatory authorities fall under the CCP’s jurisdiction. All seven connected petitions by the telecom companies were declared non-maintainable and dismissed.