ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s competition watchdog is pushing to strengthen fair markets, attract investment and prepare for challenges created by digital technology, Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Chairman Farid Ahmad Tarar said on Sept. 12.
Farid Ahmad Tarar presented Pakistan’s latest regulatory reforms and investment efforts during a major 2026 International Fair Competition Conference in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province in China.
Farid Ahmad Tarar represented Pakistan at the conference in China, held Sept. 7-8 in Xi’an. The event, organized by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, brought together senior officials and competition experts from several countries, including China, Brazil, France, Georgia, South Korea, Russia and Singapore.
Speaking at the conference, Farid Ahmad Tarar said strong competition authorities are becoming increasingly important for attracting investment, encouraging innovation, improving productivity and supporting long-term economic growth. He also stressed that competitive markets should ultimately deliver better choices and benefits to consumers.
Farid Ahmad Tarar outlined the Competition Commission of Pakistan’s efforts to make enforcement more proactive, data-driven and focused on areas that can have a broad impact on businesses and consumers.
A major part of the commission’s new approach is its Market Intelligence Unit, which has identified more than 225 potential competition cases in different sectors. The commission is directing greater attention toward serious market problems, including cartels, the misuse of market power, misleading marketing and new competition risks linked to digital businesses.
The chairman also pointed to the connection between effective competition enforcement and investment growth. During the period covered, the commission approved 121 merger clearance orders, helping facilitate about 29.65 billion Pakistani rupees in foreign direct investment. It also approved 83 exemptions for business arrangements that met legal requirements.
Digital markets are another growing priority for the commission. Tarar said rapid developments in artificial intelligence, big data, algorithms and online platforms are creating new challenges for competition regulators. Under its 2026-27 prioritie, the commission plans to develop a Digital Markets Competition Framework and conduct market studies covering e-commerce, fintech and digital advertising.
During his visit Farid Ahmad Tarar also met with Shu Wei, vice minister of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, for talks on new competition challenges, regulatory capacity and stronger cooperation between Pakistan and China.
The officials also discussed the implementation of an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) on anti-monopoly cooperation. Both sides explored expanding technical cooperation in areas such as cartel investigations, merger reviews, digital markets, market intelligence, economic analysis, competition advocacy and employee exchanges.
Farid Ahmad Tarar said stronger cooperation between the two competition authorities would help Pakistan and China respond to increasingly connected and technology-driven markets. He added that closer institutional ties could also support a more stable and competitive business environment as both countries work to expand trade, investment and economic cooperation.
