Karachi: Cellular phone companies have demanded that the government should compensate them for their estimated losses of Rs 1 billion caused due to suspension of their services twice in line with security issues during the past two months.
Sources in the telecom industry said that cellular phone companies have asked the government through Ministry of Information and Technology and Telecommunication and Ministry of Interior to pay them losses against financial damages as per law.
The companies have recently evaluated the incurred losses to the sector and put their demand to the government mutually.
Cellular operators have suspended services for about 10-12 hours on the directive of Ministry of Interior in four to 15 cities on Chand Raat in August and Love Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Day in September. It was mainly implemented for security reasons particularly for avoiding any untoward incident that could have cost lives of people and their property.
The Ministry of Interior orders shall be followed by telecommunication companies as per law mentioned in Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act 1996 under clause 54 elaborated National Security.
Accordingly, during a war or hostilities against Pakistan by any foreign power or internal aggression or for the defence or security of Pakistan, the Federal Government shall have preference and priority in telecommunication system over any licensee.
The government action was considered on the concerns of internal aggression as per law.
Provided that the Federal Government may compensate any licensee whose facilities or services are affected by any action under this sub-section, the Act stated.
As the law defines that the government has to pay the compensation to telecom operators against their order implemented two times.
Sources said that cellular companies have sent their unanimous demand to the government with the hope that the government will restrain to ask services suspension again though expectations are less to get any penny from the government in this regard.
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