ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has dismissed an appeal of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) to charge its customers for the 17 inquiry services at the rate of a local call.

The appeal was thrown out during a hearing at the PTA headquarters by a committee comprising Chairman PTA Shahzada Alam Malik, Member Finance Syed Nasrul Karim A. Ghaznavi and Member Technical Dr Mohammad Yaseen.

In its appeal, the PTCL has requested the authority to allow it to charge for free Directory Inquiry Services (DIS), i.e. 17 at the rate of Rs2.01 per call citing the high cost being incurred by the company on maintaining free service.

On May 16, 2006, the PTA informed the telecommunication giant that neither it should charge for the free service nor it should change the number 17. The authority also directed PTCL to continue providing printed directories (white pages) to its consumers.

In response to the authority’s decision, the PTCL filed an appeal on June 14, 2006 requesting the PTA to review its decision. The authority, while hearing the appeal, found the PTCL appeal untenable and decided to hold its earlier decision by not allowing PTCL to charge for calling 17 on the ground that millions of PTCL customers would suffer if the service is permitted to be charged.

While commenting the PTA chairman said: “We want PTCL and all other operators to flourish and mature their business plans but the PTA has a responsibility towards consumers for ensuring cost-effective and latest telecom services as well.”

“PTA endeavours to ensure every possible relief to telecom consumers and the present decision is yet another step in the same direction,” he said.

The PTCL has presently 5.13 million subscribers across the country and it is the biggest fixed-line operator. Worldwide inquiry services are being offered free of cost by most of the service providers to their customers.