Islamabad: The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) has affirmed the Competition Commission of Pakistan’s (CCP) 2018 decision against Eden Builders (Pvt) Ltd for misleading advertising in their promotion of the ‘Eden Life Islamabad’ project. This ruling addresses violations of consumer protection laws and aims to safeguard real estate investments by ensuring transparency in advertising practices.
According to Competition Commission of Pakistan, the CCP initially imposed a PKR 2.5 million penalty on Eden Builders for its deceptive marketing campaigns. The campaigns violated Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, by featuring misleading claims about additional development charges and falsely suggesting approvals from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that were not obtained. These actions were determined to mislead consumers significantly, impacting their investment decisions.
The dismissal of Eden Builders’ appeal by CAT reinforces the CCP’s stance on enforcing strict adherence to fair marketing practices in the real estate sector, highlighting the importance of transparency and honesty in advertising to protect consumer interests.