ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The state minister information technology, Mohammad Raza Hayat Harraj has asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) staff to be more responsive to consumer demand and ensure a customer-friendly environment.

The minister said, after deregulation when more companies would be offering telecom services, the company should not only retain the existing customers but also attract new ones.

The PTCL chairman, Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa, briefed the minister at the PTCL headquarters, on Tuesday.

The minister said the company deserves credit for its performance in the field of IT and telecommunications in the country.

The members and directors generals of the PTCL also attended the briefing.

He said efforts would be made to help the PTCL get its due share in the research and development fund for the development of human resource.

He said, it was a pity that the PTCL was the source of the research and development fund, but they could not use even a single penny from the fund.

The minister said the telecommunication sector around the world was going through a process of rapid change. Information technology, mobile telephony, internet and value added services were the new trends, he said.