SC rejects private company’s plea for stay order in case pertaining to powers of competition commission

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (Online): Supreme Court (SC) has rejected private companies plea for issuing stay order in the case pertaining to powers of Competition Commission (CC).

The case came up for hearing before a 3-member bench of SC presided over by Justice Maqbool Baqir Wednesday.
The counsels for the private companies, petitioners prayed the court to give stay order.

Attorney General (AG) Khalid Javed Khan while opposing private companies plea in connection with stay order took the plea all the companies were on stay order since 2009. If stay order is given again then the system will be devastated. The company to which competition commission issues notice gets stay order. The court should give decision after hearing the arguments rather than giving stay order. Competition tribunal does not enjoy the status of court.

Makhdoom Ali Khan counsel for the private companies, petitioners, took the plea government is not entitled to legislate for competition commission. Competition commission is under the provinces and not the federation.

He further argued appointment of chairman completion commission has not been made in consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

Justice Maqbool Baqir remarked lawyers should file written submissions first and try to keep the arguments brief. The decisions of Islamabad, Lahore and Sindh high courts have come. We will review the decisions of the three high courts as well.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till March 15.

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