CAT Restarts Operations with New Leadership After Hiatus

The federal government has revamped the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) by appointing a new chairman and two members, effectively reinstating its operations after a period of inactivity.

A notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice confirmed the new appointments on Thursday.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as the tribunal’s chairman, while Dr. Faiz Elahi Memon and Asim Akram have been designated as members. The CAT serves as the appellate forum for disputes challenging the decisions made by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP).

The tribunal had been inactive since June 2024, following the promotion of its previous chairman, Justice (Retd) Mazhar Alam Miankhel, to an ad hoc judgeship in the Supreme Court. Miankhel had only briefly resumed the tribunal’s activities after being appointed chairman in November 2023, before his departure led to another hiatus.

During its last active phase, the tribunal made significant strides in resolving pending cases. By July 2023, it had delivered 30 rulings on appeals against CCP decisions, resulting in the recovery of Rs100 million in compliance with its rulings. With the new appointments, the tribunal is set to restart hearings and address outstanding competition-related cases.