Government agencies involved in telecom scandal worth billions of rupees

ISLAMABAD (Zubair Kasuri): Seven LDI companies were found involved in a scandal worth billions of rupees with the alleged collaboration of the Ministry of Information Technology and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

According to the sources, the companies have been operating without licenses and fees for the past several months. These companies have defaulted on Rs 58.9 billion for the past one year.

As per the documents available with Daily Ausaf, the actual value of the dues owed by the LDI companies is Rs 16.7 billion, while the surcharge amount is Rs 42.2 billion.

The defaulting companies include Worldcall Telecom, Wateen Telecom, Telecard, Dencom Pakistan, REDtone Telecommunication Pakistan, Wise Communication Systems, and Circle Net Communications Private Limited.

As per details, several months have passed since their licenses expired, but despite this, they are continuing their business on expired licenses.

This process is not only causing continuous loss to the government exchequer, but also violating the rules and regulations, reliable sources told Daily Ausaf.

Taking notice of this matter, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has removed the Secretary of Information Technology from his role.

As per the sources, the Law Division had already recommended the concerned authorities to not issue licenses to defaulting LDI operators.

But the IT Ministry, PTA and the seven LDI operators still did not find a solution to the issue, rather they have been deliberately prolonging the issue of arrears.

A senior member of the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) said that the authority will decide the future of all the companies within a month after another court order from the Sindh High Court (SHC).

He also revealed that similar committees have been formed in PTA for the last 10 years, and the decision has been delayed.

He also alleged that PTA officers have taken bribes of crores of rupees from these companies, and court proceedings and committees are being resorted to to prolong the matter.

The head of an LDI company told Daily Ausaf that these companies have earned Rs 500 billion in the last 10 years, and have not only not paid a single rupee in tax to the government treasury, but have also not paid the amount that was due in terms of licenses.

He also alleged that these companies have transferred all the money abroad through money laundering and hawala hundi. In this financial scandal worth billions of rupees, government agencies have not taken any steps to take money from these companies or blacklist their companies.