Long Distance International (LDI) companies owe the government approximately Rs84 billion, comprising Rs24 billion in outstanding principal and Rs60 billion in late payment surcharges, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was informed on Monday.
The committee, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, examined the prolonged non-recovery of dues from LDI companies and reviewed the steps being taken to resolve the pending cases.
Officials from the Ministry of IT and Telecom told the committee that the Telecom Tribunal has been formally inaugurated, with its chairman and members now appointed and operations underway. Twenty cases involving LDI companies have already been transferred to the tribunal, a move expected to speed up resolution of the long-standing disputes.
The committee heard that the licences of the LDI companies in question had expired, after which the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), following hearings, issued corresponding orders. The companies subsequently challenged these orders in various courts.
A PTA representative told the committee that 38 cases involving LDI companies remain pending before the courts. The authority has written to the Attorney General of Pakistan on the matter and has raised the issue before judicial forums. The official reiterated that 20 of these cases have been moved to the newly formed Telecom Tribunal.
The Ministry of IT representative said the establishment of the tribunal would allow for faster hearings and quicker resolution of telecom-related disputes, though companies would still retain the right to appeal tribunal decisions before the Supreme Court.
The committee directed the relevant authorities to submit a progress report on dues recovery and the status of pending cases at its next meeting.
