Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has urged the government to recover dues from the sale of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited to Etisalat, which had now grown to nearly $6 billion from 2005’s $800 million after 20 years of nonpayment.
This recommendation comes after the UAE demanded that Pakistan repay its $3.5 billion debt, which was being rolled over since 2019.
In a letter to the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization, Muhammad Ali, TIP called for immediate directives to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to begin recovery proceedings.
The watchdog said it had first raised the matter with the Supreme Court in 2011, when the outstanding amount was estimated at $1.6 billion, and claimed that continued delays have sharply increased the liability.
TIP also highlighted the loss of a 2 percent penalty, which it estimated at $1.5 billion over seven years from 2005, in addition to the non-payment of the original $800 million.
It said the failure to recover the dues reflects serious regulatory gaps and has caused significant losses to the national exchequer.
The issue was also discussed earlier this year during a meeting in Dubai between Ishaq Dar and senior Abu Dhabi officials, including representatives linked to Etisalat.
TIP has now called for a formal review and urgent recovery of the dues accumulated over the past two decades.w
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