PTA stopped from withdrawing international incoming calls policy
Karachi: The Sindh High Court on Thursday restrained Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the federal ministry of information technology from implementing its notification pertaining to the withdrawal of policy directives for international clearing house exchange.
The interim order came on a petition filed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited challenging the withdrawal of policy directives by the PTA for incoming international call traffic in the country.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that PTA had issued policy directives on international clearing house exchange that was established to provide a single gateway for termination of international incoming telecommunication traffic.
He said such measures were taken for a variety of reasons including monitoring and regulation of incoming international traffic for the purpose of national security and forming a stronger and consistent method of negotiation with foreign carriers.
He submitted that despite numerous benefits of establishing and nominating the ICH exchange, including but not limited to better regulations for security purposes and generation of foreign exchange, the PTA via its directives on June 17 withdrew policy directives in violation of the incumbent policy, the law and regulations of the telecommunication company and the LDI operators.
The court was requested to restrain the PTA and other respondents from implementing their review policy directives.
After preliminary hearing of the petition, the division bench headed by SHC Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar issued notices to PTA, ministry of information technology and others for September 3 with directives to take no action for implementing the withdrawal of policy directives for international clearing house exchange till further orders.
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