The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has suspended the license of IJ Internet Services (Private) Limited for one month, or until the company clears its outstanding dues, under an enforcement order issued pursuant to Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996.
The action was taken after the licensee failed to pay its Annual License Fee (ALF) for the year ending June 30, 2022, along with the applicable Late Payment Additional Fee (LPAF), despite repeated notices and reminders.
According to the PTA order, the company, which was granted a non-exclusive license in August 2014 to operate Data Class Value Added Services, is obligated under license conditions and regulatory provisions to submit annual audited accounts and pay the ALF within 120 days of the financial year’s close. PTA records indicate that multiple letters and emails were sent between October 2022 and January 2025, directing the licensee to make the required payment, but no compliance was made.
Following the non-payment, a Show Cause Notice was issued on January 3, 2024, giving the company seven days to clear its dues and thirty days to submit a written explanation. A hearing was scheduled for May 9, 2024, at PTA Headquarters in Islamabad.
However, the company neither responded to the notice nor attended the hearing, and no updated address was provided as required under the regulations. A final deadline of January 31, 2025, was also ignored.
The hearing panel, comprising senior PTA officials, decided to proceed ex-parte based on the available record. The order stipulates that if the company fails to comply within the suspension period, its license will be terminated without further notice. Additionally, all Long Distance International (LDI), Local Loop (LL), Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider (TIP), and mobile operators have been directed to suspend telecom facilities extended to the licensee until further orders.