ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Directorate of Legal Education (DLE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at raising awareness among law students and lawyers.
The signing ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazir Tarar, Federal Secretary Law and Justice, Raja Naeem Akbar, Chairman CCP Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Member CCP Salman Amin, CCP’s Senior Legal Advisor Barrister Ambreen Abbasi, Director DLE Barrister Usama Malik, senior representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, and senior officials from CCP.
DLE is established by the Pakistan Bar Council under a supreme court order. It aims to enhance the quality of legal education by ensuring adherence to standards, promoting continued legal education, providing teacher training, and promoting legal research. The CCP regulates competition in markets, police cartels, market abuse, and protects consumers from anti-competitive behaviour.
Under the MoU, CCP and DLE will collaborate to enhance awareness through consultations and support within their respective mandates. They will conduct workshops, focus groups, lectures, and seminars on competition law for students and faculty of law colleges and universities. Additional initiatives include integrating a competition law module into LL.B and LL.M programs, introducing competition law in the Bar Vocational Course, arranging guest lectures on competition law and policy, and promoting continued legal education.
Minister Azam Nazir Tarar welcomed the signing of the MoU, considering it a significant step towards capacity building within the legal community and enhancing the competition landscape in Pakistan. He highlighted that it would equip lawyers with the necessary knowledge and skills to address complex competition issues. The Minister appreciated the CCP’s efforts to promote competition in the economy.
Chairman CCP Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu emphasized that the market-based system, designed to create wealth for many, is often exploited by a few. Therefore, CCP’s efforts aim to educate the public about the market-based system. He further highlighted that public support is crucial for the success of CCP’s efforts to identify and police cartels, particularly through the involvement of whistleblowers. He expressed confidence in the collaboration with DLE, believing it will significantly advance competition law in Pakistan.