CCP Recovers PKR 495 Million from LDI Operators in Landmark ICH Case

ISLAMABAD – The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has successfully recovered PKR 495 million in penalties from Long Distance International (LDI) operators involved in the International Clearing House (ICH) case, marking a significant enforcement milestone.

According to official sources, the recovery includes PKR 458 million from Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and PKR 37 million from M/s Link Dot Net.

The action follows a ruling by the Competition Appellate Tribunal, which upheld CCP’s decision that declared the ICH arrangement illegal and anti-competitive.

Introduced in 2012, the ICH agreement centralized all incoming international calls through a single PTCL-controlled gateway. This move eliminated market competition and fixed termination rates at 8.8 US cents per minute, a fourfold increase that resulted in exorbitant charges for overseas callers and windfall revenues exceeding 300 percent for LDI operators.

Initially, CCP imposed penalties amounting to 7.5% of each operator’s annual turnover. However, the Tribunal revised the fines to 2% of revenues generated under the ICH, ordering all involved operators to deposit the amounts within 30 days.

CCP Chairman Dr. Kabir Sidhu reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to upholding competition law. He emphasized that while business forums can foster healthy industry dialogue, they must not become platforms for price fixing or collusion.

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“Any attempts at market abuse, consumer exploitation, or anti-competitive conduct will be dealt with strictly,” Dr. Sidhu stated.

The ICH case is considered a landmark in Pakistan’s competition enforcement landscape and signals the CCP’s increasing focus on regulating key sectors, including telecommunications.