CCP engages academia on parental liability

September 24, 2025 (MLN): The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) organized a lecture under its “Lecture Series in Competition Law,” featuring Professor Peter Whelan of the University of Leeds, UK.

Whelan is a Professor of Law at the School of Law and Director of the Institute of Criminal Law and Justice, said a press release issued.

He delivered a valuable lecture on the concept of parental liability in competition law.

Welcoming the guest, Chairman CCP Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said this is the beginning of a new era of reforms at CCP. He noted that CCP has recovered over Rs1 billion in penalties from violators of the Competition Act.

These recoveries, he said, have helped safeguard consumer rights and ensure fair competition. Dr. Kabir added that CCP has resolved more than half of its pending court cases and established a Centre of Excellence to conduct advanced research with the support of experts and PhD scholars.

In his lecture, Professor Whelan explained the principle of parental liability, which makes parent companies responsible for anti-competitive conduct of their subsidiaries.

He said this doctrine is important to strengthen enforcement, prevent misuse of market power, and hold large corporate groups accountable.

He also discussed international practices, with examples from the European Union and other jurisdictions, highlighting lessons for Pakistan.

The session had an active Q&A discussion.

Participants from CCP, academia, and the legal community engaged with Professor Whelan on the challenges and opportunities of applying parental liability in Pakistan.

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