Islamabad, Mar 14, 2025: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology has once again addressed the unresolved dues amounting to Rs. 59 billion, which Long-Distance & International (LDI) operators owe to the national treasury.
A meeting has been scheduled for March 18, where this issue is included in the agenda.
The committee has called upon the Secretary of IT and the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to provide a detailed update on the renewal process of LDI licenses and the recovery of outstanding payments.
Additionally, a separate report has been requested regarding seven LDI firms that have been operating for several months without valid licenses or paying their renewal fees.
Previously, both the Ministry of IT and PTA failed to reclaim Rs. 58.9 billion from these telecom operators.
Despite their licenses expiring over a year ago, these firms continued their operations. The Law Division had earlier advised against renewing the licenses of these defaulting companies.
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Another key point on the committee’s agenda is the review of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, which was introduced by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan.
Furthermore, the committee will examine the delay in Ignite’s Virtual Production Studio project.
The CEO of Ignite has been requested to explain the reasons behind the project’s sluggish progress and provide an update on its current status.
