Telecos under scrutiny for mismanagement
The latest Auditor General (AG) report has raised serious concerns over massive violations in the telecom sector, including misconduct by state-owned PTCL and the Special Communications Organisation (SCO). The report also reveals that Jazz, the country’s largest telecom operator, overcharged consumers by Rs6.58bn during 2023-24. The report highlights that despite multiple directives from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and repeated requests from the Auditor-General, PTCL has refused to open its accounts for audit. Several objections were raised in the audit paras of regulatory bodies such as the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the Frequency Allocation Board, where PTCL was found guilty of failing to pay its dues and committing various financial irregularities.