The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Monday said that the pre-merger application for PTCL’s acquisition of Telenor Pakistan is still under review.
In a detailed clarification, CCP said that PTCL intends to acquire 100 percent shareholding of Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited and Orion Towers Private Limited.
CCP said it received a pre-merger application on February 29, 2024, from PTCL lawyers. Initially, the application was submitted with an incorrect fee. The remaining outstanding fee was sent to the Commission on March 6, 2024.
CCP requested further information on March 20, 2024, in order to complete its due diligence. The requisite information is still awaited from the PTCL lawyers.
The Commission has 30 working days to complete its due diligence after all the required information is submitted. The 30 working days timeframe for the first phase review will commence after PTCL lawyers submit the outstanding information requested by the Commission.
It is pertinent to mention that the CCP’s merger department is processing 21 applications at the moment. Acquisition of Telenor by PTCL is one of those applications.
There were altogether five undertakings operative in Pakistan’s mobile telecom industry. This included Jazz, Zong, Telenor Pakistan, Warid, and Ufone. Jazz acquired Warid in 2016. PTCL has a wholly-owned subsidiary called Ufone. The acquisition of Telenor by PTCL will reduce the number of competitors offering telephony services in the market.
The Commission has also received concerns from a competitor regarding the intended acquisition by PTCL. The CCP will complete its due diligence in due course.
CCP also urged the media to avoid speculation and dissemination of premature information about the merger.
