Islamabad, The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has successfully recovered a PKR 5 million penalty from the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) for its involvement in anti-competitive practices. This enforcement follows a legal battle where APNS was initially fined PKR 10 million by the CCP but had the penalty reduced on appeal by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT).

According to Competition Commission of Pakistan, the complaint originated from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), accusing APNS of violating Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. The CCP’s investigation confirmed that APNS had indeed engaged in restrictive trade practices through its regulations and circulars. Although APNS was recognized for its cooperative and compliance-oriented approach, which led to a reduced initial penalty, it still faced significant fines and directives to amend its rules.

The CAT, after reviewing the case, reduced the penalty to PKR 5 million and instructed APNS to submit revised circulars, rules, and regulations for CCP’s approval within one month. The tribunal specified that if the CCP approved the amendments within 60 days, additional penalties would not be enforced.