A Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom session saw renewed pressure over the long-pending $800 million Etisalat payment issue, with lawmakers questioning when Pakistan would finally recover the amount from the UAE-based telecom group.
The committee chairperson asked what concrete steps have been taken to retrieve the $800 million, stressing that the matter has remained unresolved for years. She also questioned that if Etisalat had already adjusted or recovered its claims, Pakistan should similarly secure its own dues.
The IT Secretary stated that the issue is essentially a shareholder dispute and does not fall directly under the PTCL board’s operational control. He added that the matter has been escalated to higher levels, with both the Ministry of IT and the Privatization Commission acting as key stakeholders.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan noted that if a profit margin is applied to the $800 million over time, the value could now amount to billions of dollars, highlighting the scale of delay in resolution.
The committee also briefly discussed PTCL subsidiary Ufone’s financial losses over the past five years, with officials confirming it remains under PTCL’s ownership structure.
Raising further concern, lawmakers questioned the prolonged delay in settlement and suggested stronger coordination between relevant institutions.
In view of the issue’s complexity, the committee chairperson proposed a joint meeting with the Privatization Committee to review the $800 million Etisalat case and explore a way forward.
