Member Technical Dr Khawar Siddique Khokhar and Member Finance Nasrul Karim Ghaznavi have reportedly denied to approve the revised Information Memorandum for 3G licenses, that government is planning to auction early next year, reported “The News”.
The Information Memorandum is the document that contains the proposed auction schedule and terms and conditions for the auction.
Citing unnamed sources who spoke with both the members, paper reports that Member Tech and Member Finance refused to approve the Information Memorandum immediately, because they believed the process of auction was not transparent.
During a meeting chaired by Raja Parvez Ashraf, Prime Minister of Pakistan, both the members declined to approve IM, after which the document was supposed to become a policy and was to be floated in the market to invite operators for participation in upcoming 3G auction.
Besides the prime minister, those who attended the meeting included chairman and two members of the PTA, the finance minister, minister for water and power, secretary information technology, adviser information technology, senior officials of the planning commission, principal secretary to the prime minister and others.
The meeting wanted Khokhar and Ghaznavi to approve the Information Memorandum (IM) prepared by the three consultants who were hired without their consent and in violation of PPRA rules.
Notwithstanding all pressures to get their immediate approval, Khokhar and Ghaznavi sought time and insisted that the decision of such matters should be left to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority as per the law and rules.
It maybe recalled that PTA had floated IM for 3G auction earlier in 2012, which was scrapped due to flaws. PTA, earlier in October, had hired three consultants to prepare IM and conclude the auction by early 2013.
Member technical, however, has objected the process adopted for hiring of consultants and had claimed that the hiring of consultants was illegal and in violation of telecom act and PPRA rules.
haha!! another kalabagh dam in the making here…
old politicians and officers related to advance technology even don’t know what is 3G they believe this as G3 which is their most favourite tool to kill the pakistani peoples because most of them can not send single sms from their phones and going to discuss auction.
a** Ho** Dr Khawar Siddique want to further delay the auction ku k is ki comission ni mili….
Obviously PTA should work as an independent organization and should not be influence from P.M and ministry of information bcz the worth of 3G spectrum is it self very high so no conspiracies.
All of these want a big share from this auction and fighting for it, they dont want any development in country, without 3G and paypal we are far behind our traditional rival, India
The time they will decide to auction it, rest of the world will be enjoying 5G, the company which will give 2billion will first earn this money then starts taking profit till 100 million by the time world will be at 10-12G then another fight of 4GLTE license will start in Pakistan. We were already 100 years behind from rest of the world, and in last 5 years we were in reverse gear with 2years/hour speed. Magar mere bhayon gham ke koi baat nahee, kal bhe bhutto zinda tha aaj bhe bhutto zinda hai.