Rights of Complainant in the Competition Regime of Pakistan: An Appraisal

Abstract

Complaints are a significant source of information for identifying competition law infringements. It is, therefore, essential to provide a well-defined, effectual modus operandi for lodging complaints and details concerning certain specified information to be submitted to the competition authorities to bring predictability and transparency to the system. In this manner, a complainant can predict what he needs to submit to make his complaint admissible. This article raises questions concerning the availability of the rights of complainants. It analyses how the competition regime of Pakistan could benefit from the European Union’s competition jurisdiction in making the procedure of filing complaints more effective. How well the rights of a complainant are defined and protected as compared to the more developed and experienced regime of the European Union? The article discusses the eligibility criteria for filing a complaint against competition infringement. It reviews the existing rights available to complainants by Pakistan and the European Union competition regime. It deliberates on the need to prioritize the complaints received by the enforcement agencies.