KARACHI, June 7: Non-acceptance of telephone bills of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd by the Pakistan Post Office has been causing immense hardships to a large number of subscribers in the city.

Inquiries revealed that the problem is due to the non- willingness, laxity and non-agreement on the part of PTCL authorities with the PPO to facilitate its customers, as done by the KESC and Sui Southern Gas Company.

As compared to gas and electricity bills, it is generally observed that in a majority of the cases, telephone bills are delivered two or three days prior to the last date. As a result, great rush is witnessed at the prescribed bank branches.

The orders of the State Bank of Pakistan to all banks to accept utility bills from 9am to 5pm are clearly being flouted. Consequently, long queues can be witnessed at a majority of the banks.

An elderly person standing in a long queue in the scorching heat at a bank branch to pay utility bills said that Pakistan is the only country where subscribers have to undergo a long ordeal every month in order to deposit bills.

“The SBP Governor has complete authority to implement his executive orders, but it appears that his measures are mere eyewash aimed at hoodwinking the masses, as their sufferings continue to compound with the passage of time,” he added.

Instead of cosmetic measures, the SBP Governor should ensure effective steps which may provide solace to helpless utility subscribers, he said.—PPI