The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has suspended the license of IJ Internet Services (Private) Limited for one month, citing non-payment of outstanding dues. The suspension will remain in effect until the company clears its payments in full, according to an enforcement order issued under Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996.
Repeated Payment Reminders Ignored
PTA records show that IJ Internet Services, which received a non-exclusive license in August 2014 to operate Data Class Value Added Services, failed to pay its Annual License Fee (ALF) for the financial year ending June 30, 2022. The dues also included a Late Payment Additional Fee (LPAF).
Under the license terms, the company is required to submit audited financial statements and settle the ALF within 120 days of the financial year’s close. The regulator said it sent multiple letters and emails between October 2022 and January 2025, but the company did not respond.
A Show Cause Notice issued on January 3, 2024, gave the licensee seven days to clear the dues and 30 days to provide a written explanation. A hearing scheduled for May 9, 2024, at PTA headquarters in Islamabad also went unattended.
License at Risk of Termination
The company did not update its contact details as required under regulations and failed to meet a final January 31, 2025 deadline. The PTA hearing panel, composed of senior officials, decided to proceed with the case in the company’s absence.
The order warns that if payments are not made during the suspension period, IJ Internet Services’ license will be revoked permanently without further notice. All telecom operators, including Long Distance International (LDI), Local Loop (LL), Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider (TIP), and mobile service providers, have been instructed to suspend facilities to the company until further orders.