ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the National Forensics Agency (NFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen institutional cooperation and integrate advanced forensic capabilities into competition law enforcement.
The MoU was signed at the CCP Headquarters in Islamabad in the presence of CCP Chairman Mr Farid Ahmad Tarar and NFA Director General Mr Jawad Ahmad Dogar. CCP Member Ms Bushra Naz Malik and senior officials from both institutions also attended the signing ceremony.
In his welcome remarks, Mr Tarar described the signing of the MoU as an important step towards stronger institutional cooperation. He said effective enforcement increasingly depended on reliable evidence, scientific analysis and specialised technical expertise, along with a strong legal framework and effective enforcement tools and techniques.
“This partnership will strengthen our investigative capabilities and enable the Commission to benefit from NFA’s forensic expertise,” he said.
Mr Tarar added that forensic capability was becoming increasingly important as commercial activities and evidence were moving into the digital domain. Cooperation with the NFA, he said, would help the CCP respond more effectively to evolving challenges in competition enforcement, particularly in investigations involving complex digital and electronic evidence.
Speaking on the occasion, DG NFA Mr Dogar described the CCP as an important national institution whose work contributed to creating a level playing field and protecting the rights of citizens. He outlined the evolution of the NFA and the specialised forensic capabilities developed by the agency.
Mr Dogar reaffirmed the NFA’s commitment to extending its expertise and technical support to the CCP in furtherance of what he termed an important national cause. He also offered NFA’s technical support to the CCP in digital, document and other forensic disciplines, calling the MoU the beginning of a long-term institutional relationship between the two organisations.
Under the MoU, the two institutions will establish a framework for cooperation in forensic examination, technical support and capacity building to strengthen the CCP’s investigative and enforcement capabilities.
The collaboration will enable the Commission to benefit from the NFA’s specialised expertise and scientific capabilities in handling and analysing evidence. It will also promote knowledge sharing, technical training and closer institutional coordination in areas relevant to competition law enforcement.
