Competition Commission | Pakistan

In a significant move to curb deceptive marketing practices, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) imposed a hefty fine on a housing society for false and misleading advertisements. “The commission imposed a penalty of Rs150 million on Kingdom Valley Pvt Ltd for misleading advertisements concerning its housing project,” read a statement by the CCP. The CCP’s Office of Fair Trade initiated an investigation after taking notice and found that the company “falsely advertised its project as Kingdom Valley Islamabad, despite it being located in Mouza Choora, tehsil and district Rawalpindi”. It added that the company misrepresented affiliations with the Naya Pakistan Housing Program (NPHP) and Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA). Furthermore, it was noted that the company publicised the project as ‘NOC [no-objection certificate] Approved’ without accurate or complete disclosure regarding its approval status. The commission’s bench, comprising Saeed Ahmed Nawaz and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, con...