LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed a petition filed by Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited against the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), allowing the regulator to continue its long-pending inquiry into vehicle price increases by major carmakers.
Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh, announcing the verdict, said Honda Atlas had no grounds to challenge the CCP’s investigation after participating in it for years without objection. The court held that the company had already shared data, answered notices, and even given a detailed presentation to the CCP in 2021.
“The petitioner, after cooperating for four years, cannot now turn around and question the CCP’s authority,” the judge observed, noting that the firm’s conduct showed clear acceptance of the process.
The CCP had launched the suo motu inquiry in 2018 over unjustified car price hikes by top automakers, including Honda Atlas. The company claimed the inquiry was illegal and arbitrary, but the court ruled that the notices were only procedural and not punitive, allowing the CCP to collect information under the Competition Act, 2010.
However, Justice Raheel Kamran expressed concern over the seven-year delay, saying that inquiries should not remain open indefinitely. He directed the CCP to complete the investigation within six months, emphasizing that prolonged probes create “uncertainty and erode public confidence in regulators.”
