Senate Committee Discusses LDI License Renewal

Islamabad, Pakistan – The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom met yesterday to discuss the renewal of licenses for Long Distance International (LDI) companies. Chairman Palusha Khan led the meeting, which included a briefing by the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

According to the PTA Chairman, five LDI companies have expressed willingness to pay the required fees for license renewal, while others have filed court cases challenging the payment. The licenses of these companies set to expire in July and August.

The PTA Chairman also revealed that the former IT secretary had issued a policy directive regarding the license renewal, which has deemed beyond their authority. The issue has also discussed in a cabinet meeting.

Senator Anusha Rehman inquired about the ownership of optical fiber cables among the 15 LDI companies, to which the PTA Chairman responded that four companies are actively operating. The Senator also noted that around 15 court cases related to LDI license renewal are currently ongoing.