The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has summoned the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on August 25 to explain an audit report claiming that Jazz overcharged subscribers by Rs6.58 billion. Lawmakers will also question the regulator about a clause permitting quarterly tariff increases of up to 15 percent and seek a three-year review of operators’ capital spending and service quality.
According to the Senate Secretariat’s notice, the PTA chairman has been directed to brief the committee on investment trends, voice and data performance surveys, and the regulatory steps taken to protect consumers. Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan will chair the session, with Senators Kamran Murtaza, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan and Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan in attendance. Committee Secretary Syed Khurram Hussain has asked all stakeholders to appear with relevant documents.
Audit Report Flags Rs6.58 Billion in Overbilling by Jazz
As reported earlier by TechJuice, the audit cited instances where Jazz billed above PTA-approved tariffs, in breach of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act, 1996, and the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2009. A comparative review flagged popular bundles, including “Monthly Super Duper” billed at Rs1,043 versus the approved Rs955, “Monthly Freedom” at Rs1,739 against Rs1,652, and “Monthly YouTube & Social Offer” at Rs434 versus Rs348. The latter alone accounted for an estimated Rs2.12 billion in excess billing, the report noted.
The audit also criticized PTA’s oversight, pointing to blanket approvals and a mechanism that allowed quarterly tariff increases of up to 15 percent. Senators are expected to press the regulator on why tariff compliance was not enforced and what corrective measures are planned.
With consumer complaints rising over billing practices and network performance, the committee says the session will set the tone for closer parliamentary scrutiny of telecom operators and tighter enforcement by the regulator.