Rs. 84 Billion Unpaid Dues: Govt Refers 20 LDI Cases to Telecom Tribunal

 

Pakistan’s long-distance international (LDI) telecom operators have accumulated around Rs. 84 billion in dues payable to the government, including Rs. 24 billion in outstanding amounts and Rs. 60 billion in late payment surcharges, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed a Senate committee on Monday.

The matter was reviewed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications informed the committee that the licenses of several LDI companies had expired. After conducting hearings, the PTA issued decisions against the companies, which later challenged the orders in courts.

According to the PTA, 38 cases involving LDI companies are currently pending before various courts. The authority has also approached the Attorney General and raised the matter before relevant judicial forums.

Of these cases, 20 have been shifted to the newly established Telecom Tribunal. Officials said the tribunal has been constituted with its chairman and members appointed and has begun handling cases.

The Ministry of IT said the tribunal is expected to speed up the resolution of telecom-related disputes. However, companies will still have the option to appeal to the Supreme Court against tribunal decisions.

The committee instructed the concerned authorities to present an updated progress report on the recovery of outstanding dues at its next meeting.