ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Monday constituted a sub-committee to address the alarming default of around Rs19 billion by nine Long Distance and International (LDI) operators.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the committee that more than 100 related cases are pending in various courts, while six of the defaulters have expressed willingness to settle their dues.
A structured recovery mechanism, including an instalment-based plan, is under consideration and a proposal has already been submitted to the federal cabinet for guidance.
The committee, chaired by MNA Syed Aminul Haq, also decided to convene an in-camera meeting to thoroughly review the confidential Sale and Purchase Agreement between the Government of Pakistan and M/s Etisalat, after expressing strong displeasure over PTCL’s refusal to share specific clauses of the deal.
The Privatization Commission informed the committee that Clause 6 of the agreement restricts disclosure without mutual consent of both parties. The committee directed that representatives from the Ministry of IT, Ministry of Law and Justice, Privatization Commission, and M/s Etisalat be invited to the next meeting.
Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund (USF) briefed the committee that areas in district Tharparkar and Sargodha Division remain severely underserved in terms of internet and voice call access. Although fibre optic infrastructure exists, telecom services remain unavailable in many parts. The USF stated that specific projects for these regions have been approved and are at the final implementation stage. The committee instructed USF to submit a list of all such projects planned for execution over the next three to five years and directed PTA to ensure service delivery in those areas.
On the issue of internet suspension in district Panjgur, the committee urged the Ministry of IT to coordinate with the Ministry of Interior, provincial authorities, and law enforcement agencies to devise a workable solution. The PTA was also instructed to maintain connectivity through the existing fibre optic infrastructure despite service disruptions.
MNAs Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, Sadiq Ali Memon, Ahmad Saleem Siddiqui, Pullain Baloch, Sher Ali Arbab, and Umair Khan Niazi, along with senior officials from the ministry and its attached departments, attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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