ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Taking its customers for granted, the Pakistan Telecommunication Company has yet again introduced pre-activated service. The ‘Local Call Package’ offers a landline to landline call charged at Rs4.60 (Rs3.99 plus 15 per cent tax) whether user talks for one minute or one hour between 4pm and 8am.

The package has been applied to all phone connections across the board, instead of giving option to subscribers.

The service was introduced on Oct 1 for three months till Dec 31 last year and then it was renewed from Jan 1 for two months by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. Instead of renewing the package, the PTA should have discouraged the pre-activated packages.

Earlier, a five-minute call was charged at Rs1.99 (excluding 15 per cent tax).

“Some of these packages are not bad. There might be people who use telephones for long duration calls,” said a working woman. With two lines at home, she had no idea that they had been already activated, Maryam Riaz said. Although fixed line is the main source of contact for a great number of families, the PTCL is losing its subscribers.