THE Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL) was privatised in 2004 during the Pervez Musharraf government. A UAE-based company, Etisalat, had purchased 26 per cent shares of PTCL, while 62pc shares were owned by the Pakistan government and remaining 12pc by the public.

Later, the PTCL agreed to sell their lands on very nominal prices to Etisalat on which PTCL offices were established all over Pakistan amounting to trillion of rupees.

Till 2008, PTCL employees were drawing their salaries as government employees but after 2008 their basic pay scale could not be revised. Till now they are drawing salaries they used to get in 2008 with a nominal increment which is not as per government rules.

The same is the case with pensioners, who have been also getting their pension at old basic pay scale since 2008.

PTCL employees filed a case in the Supreme Court and it gave a verdict in their favor, ordering the PTCL to treat them as government employees. But the order has not yet been implemented.

If the Supreme Court judgement is not implemented then whose instructions will be obeyed?

The authorities concerned should look into this matter and address the grievances of the PTCL employees.

Faisal Ansar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019