February 26, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 18, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: The federal ombudsman has served a show-cause notice on the PTCL chief executive and asked him to explain the delay in implementing its recommendations on a ‘misleading customer package’.

The ombudsman asked the PTCL chief to give reasons why legal proceedings for defiance of the recommendations should not be initiated and the matter should not be referred to the president of Pakistan.

A statement issued here on Monday said Ombudsman Javed Sadiq Malik found a lack of transparency in the telephone company’s package for customers regarding the facility of making international calls to 16 countries around the world at Rs2 per minute. The Wafaqi Mohtasib termed the package misleading, perverse and an unjust practice, falling within the definition of ‘maladministration’ according to the President’s Order No. 1 of 1983.

Investigations into the case had been initiated on the complaint of a citizen and the probe revealed that advertisements appearing in the national press were designed and presented in a manner that it did not transparently disclose the full cost per minute for international calls.

Although the advertised rate of Rs2 per minute had been qualified by a small-sized print indicating that it was valid for calls made from landlines and mobile phones in only four countries, it was placed sideways and in a way that made it difficult for readers to spot it immediately.

In fact, apart from the four countries, the rate was only applicable to the other 12 countries only if the calls were made from a landline to a landline telephone, the statement said. Because of this customers could be misled into using the PTCL service at a much higher rate than it is immediately obvious from the announcements placed in newspapers.

The ombudsman directed the PTCL to re-advertise the package in public interest and clearly indicate the countries to which calls would be charged at Rs2 per minute when called from landline and mobile phones, and those where the rate was applicable only if calls were made from landline to landline phones.

PTCL officials were not available for comments.