Senate committee orders probe into Rs5.83bn 'overcharging' by Jazz

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has constituted a subcommittee to investigate allegations that a leading telecom firm charged customers Rs5.83 billion in excess of tariffs approved by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Dawn reported on Friday.

The subcommittee, headed by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan, will examine the alleged overcharging by Jazz and the regulatory action taken by the PTA in the matter.

The decision followed a heated debate between PTA officials and representatives of the Auditor General of Pakistan. Committee chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan intervened to calm the situation when the PTA chairman threatened to resign if any allegation of corruption was levelled against him.

The matter relates to the audit of the PTA for 2024. The audit objection stated that the telecom regulator had allowed a 15 per cent tariff increase for Jazz against a permissible limit of 3pc, and suggested seeking the opinion of the Competition Commission of Pakistan on the tariff policy.

PTA chairman retired Maj Gen Hafeezur Rehman questioned the proposal, saying that if tariffs were to be decided by the competition commission, the PTA should not be held responsible for ensuring quality of service. “Let them take the whole responsibility,” he said. He maintained that the regulator had acted with complete transparency in allowing the 15pc tariff increase for Jazz and offered to have the matter subjected to a forensic audit.

The PTA chairman categorically stated that he would resign if even one rupee of overcharging by the telecom operator was established in violation of the authority’s approved tariffs.

A Jazz spokesperson said the matter concerned two government entities and that Jazz would present its point of view if called before any relevant forum.

Sources

• Dawn — Senate body orders probe into ‘overcharging’ by telco