LAHORE, Sept 30: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited’s unannounced withdrawal of free phone facility from 12 midnight to 6am has cost most of subscribers between Rs200 and 250 for calls made in August, it is learnt.

The subscribers will pay equal or more amount in their September bills as they (subscribers) remained unaware of the facility withdrawal till Sept 25.

The PTCL had announced the facility in August 2004 for six months which was later extended for another six months. The PTCL had also extended the date on Aug 14 this year but it did not mention the extension period.

Official sources said the company faced nine per cent shortfall in the 2004-5 revenue target against the corresponding year’s which had forced the management to withdraw the facility. The management blamed the union’s campaign against privatization for shortfall in the revenue target, they added.

They said that a subscriber made an average 130 local calls in a month. The number of calls had risen to 190 when the PTCL withdrew the facility without making it public.

The sources said the PTCL had made millions of rupees after keeping its over nine million subscribers across the country in dark.

On the other hand, subscribers slam the PTCL for withdrawing the facility without intimation.

“It is a criminal act on the part of the PTCL as it should have at least bothered to inform us,” says Nighat Bibi.

She urges the authorities concerned not to add the amount of midnight local calls made by them in September bills.

When contacted, PTCL spokesman Ali Qadar denied that the corporation had withdrawn the facility unannounced.

“It was extended for six months after its launch in August 2004,” he said.