PTA Suspends License of Internet Service Provider Over Unpaid Dues

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has suspended the license of IJ Internet Services (Private) Limited for one month — or until outstanding dues are cleared — under an enforcement order issued pursuant to Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996.

According to PTA, the company failed to pay its Annual License Fee (ALF) for the financial year ending June 30, 2022, along with the applicable Late Payment Additional Fee (LPAF), despite multiple notices and reminders.

IJ Internet Services, which was granted a non-exclusive license in August 2014 to operate Data Class Value Added Services, is required to submit annual audited accounts and pay the ALF within 120 days of the close of the financial year. PTA records show that repeated letters and emails were sent between October 2022 and January 2025, but no payment or compliance was made.

A Show Cause Notice was issued on January 3, 2024, giving the company seven days to settle dues and 30 days to submit a written explanation. A hearing was set for May 9, 2024, at PTA Headquarters, but the company neither responded nor attended, and also failed to provide an updated address. The final deadline of January 31, 2025, was also missed.

The hearing panel proceeded ex-parte and decided that if the company does not comply within the suspension period, its license will be terminated without further notice. All Long Distance International (LDI), Local Loop (LL), Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider (TIP), and mobile operators have been instructed to suspend telecom facilities to the licensee until further orders.