PTA Orders Cellular Operators to Stop Chatting Services | Telecom Recorder
Is PTA being run by some mufti now?
PTA issued orders to all cellular phone companies to end all chat room services with immediate effect as these services are not suitable to social norms and considered immoral in our society.
According to PTA directives, Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act 1996 is obliged to regulate competition in the telecommunication sector and to protect consumer rights and to ensure that the interests of users of telephony services are duly safeguarded and protected.
It has been noticed with great concern that certain unholy market practices/packages against the norms of social structure and moral values of the society are being introduced by all mobile phone operators, PTA directives stated.
PTA stated that it had received various complaints from Standing Committee of the Parliament, Senators, MNAs and Consumers complaing about the packages such as Warid Voice Chat by Warid Telecom; Chat Line by Zong; Gup Shup corner by Mobilink; Talk Shalk Friends by Telenor and Ufone Dost by Ufone.
The authority said that it invited representatives of Government Relations Department of all cellular phone companies who admitted in the meeting that the content of the services are not in line with the moral values of the society.
Ufone has taken an action also and issued a warning letter to its service provider who has broadcasted such SMSes.
PTA has earlier imposed ban on night call packages on the same grounds that it conflict with the social norms and moral values of the society.
Cell Phone Operators Challenge PTA Orders
Cellular phone operators have challenged PTA in Islamabad High Court for its recent order to stop all night call package and chatting services.
Cellular phone companies jointly submitted a writ petition in IHC, saying that there is no law exists in the telecom laws that regulate content on telephony services.
They said that cellular phone companies have offered many packages to customers which could not be abandoned as many of them are useful to customers as against cited reasons of morality concerns.
Cellular phone companies can’t end all packages particularly those which are greatly in the use of customers for positive purposes, an official said. There is not such law in the country that imposes censorship on the conversation of two individuals or callers.
am so glad I dnt live in Pakistan, or my BP would be sky high