GILGIT, Jan 15: Northern Areas Legislative Council member Mohammad Ismail has demanded that the federal government should implement the resolution adopted by the NALC demanding extension of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to Northern Areas and permission to private telecommunication companies to operate in the region.

Talking to journalists on Saturday, he said implementation of the resolution would lead to provision of modern communication facilities to people of the Northern Areas. He said the existing telecommunication system in the region, particularly in Khaplu district, was unsatisfactory.

He appealed to the director-general of the Special Communications Organization to take immediate steps for smooth functioning of the existing system.

He said the matter had been repeatedly brought to the notice of the organization’s authorities but no improvement had been made.

He said the NALC had in its recent session unanimously demanded that private telephone companies and the Pakistan Telecommunication Company should be allowed to extend their operations to Northern Areas to provide faster and cheaper facilities there.