ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has proceeded to the fourth session of its Phase II Merger Review concerning PTCL’s proposed acquisition of complete ownership in Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited and Orion Towers (Private) Limited. This examination is being conducted by a panel consisting of Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, along with Members Mr. Salman Amin and Mr. Abdul Rashid Sheikh.CCP Approves Joint Acquisition of Uch Power by Sapphire Fibres and Mindbridge

This comprehensive review concentrates on potential market power consolidation, competitive conditions, and the broader effects on the telecommunications industry. During the latest session, presentations were made by Mr. Asad Ladha, External Counsel for CM Pak (Zong), accompanied by Ms. Sameen Qureshi. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was represented by Mr. Amer Shahzad, DG (Wireless – Licensing). The CCP panel also granted opportunities to PTCL, Wateen, Jazz, and Telenor to express their views during the session.

A significant issue highlighted during the hearing was spectrum allocation. As a limited resource, spectrum is a vital factor influencing market power for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), with each frequency band providing unique efficiency and coverage characteristics. Following the transaction, the new entity is anticipated to manage 34.4% of the total allocated spectrum in the retail mobile telecommunications sector.

In earlier sessions, legal representatives from PTCL, Wateen Telecom, and Jazz shared their insights on the merger’s effects. The CCP officials present included Mr. Shahzad Hussain (Director General/Registrar), Barrister Ambreen Abbasi, Hafiz Naeem, Mr. Arshad Javed (Legal Department), and Ms. Marryum Pervaiz (Head of Merger Department). The hearing has been postponed until October 24th, 2024.