Senate body seeks explanation from PTA on Jazz tariff approval

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom convened on Tuesday to review the case involving Jazz and the recovery of over Rs6 billion in tariffs.

During the meeting, audit officials informed the committee that the record of the PTA tariff approval granted in the Jazz case had not been provided.

Senator Anusha Rehman pressed for details, questioning whether the tariff in question was regulated and why the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had not shared its approval with audit authorities.

Audit officials confirmed that PTA had failed to provide the required documentation, only offering outdated records instead of updated approvals.

“PTA is the custodian of the private sector, and it must show seriousness,” Senator Anusha Rehman remarked. She added that due to the regulator’s negligence, the private telecom sector’s reputation was being damaged.

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In response, a PTA representative said the regulator had sought time for verification of data but did not get enough time from the authorities concerned.

The committee also sought clarification on when audit reports become public. Audit officials explained that reports are published only after they are tabled in Parliament.

Highlighting the lack of transparency, members criticized officials for withholding crucial information related to the PTA tariff approval for Jazz.

The Senate Standing Committee has directed the regulator to present complete records of tariff approvals in the next meeting for further review.