ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has suspended the licences of five Long Distance and International (LDI) telecom operators for failing to pay government dues amounting to billions of rupees.

LDI operators collectively owe Rs80 billion to the government. This includes Rs24 billion in principal and Rs56 billion in late payment surcharges, which have accumulated over the years.

In an attempt to avoid payment, the operators filed multiple writ petitions in court, arguing that the PTA lacked the legal authority to demand these charges.

However, the court ruled that the petitions were not maintainable. Following the court’s dismissal of the cases, the PTA proceeded to suspend the licences of the five LDI operators.

The PTA conducted individual hearings for each of

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