{
  "id": 1944187,
  "title": "Govt Rules Out More Fines on Telcos for Poor Service",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/govt-rules-out-more-fines-on-telcos-for-poor-service",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-19T13:43:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/08/19/govt-rules-out-more-fines-on-telcos-for-poor-service/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has ruled out the prospect of imposing additional fines on telecom operators due to grievances about weak signals, poor internet quality, and service disruptions. This concern was brought up in the National Assembly by MNA Nasim Ali Shah, who questioned whether operators were charging customers the full tariff despite delivering weak network coverage and substandard data services in areas like Bannu and other underserved regions. Khawaja clarified that telecom operators are obliged to charge customers according to their advertised prices and must adhere to quality-of-service standards stipulated in their licenses. She also mentioned that some operators provide location-based or regional packages at discounted rates based on commercial and market conditions. The minister stated that no plans are in place to introduce separate penalties for non-compliance because the current regulatory framework already empowers the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to take action against operators who violate their licenses or Quality of Service obligations. The PTA can issue warning letters and Show Cause Notices, as well as impose financial penalties for non-compliance. The government has recently reinforced telecom licence conditions through the latest spectrum auction, which includes higher Quality of Service benchmarks and additional requirements for 4G and 5G rollouts. In the past four years, the PTA conducted over 500 Quality of Service surveys in urban and rural areas, highways, motorways, and railway routes, along with more than 200 complaint-based surveys. During this period, the regulator issued 20 warning letters, 86 Show Cause Notices, and imposed a total of Rs. 3.41 billion in financial penalties on telecom operators.",
  "summary": "Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said the government has no plans to introduce additional … Read More The post Govt Rules Out More Fines on Telcos for Poor Service appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [
    "Federal Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja ruled out more fines for telecom operators.",
    "Operators must charge customers according to advertised prices and meet quality standards.",
    "PTA can issue warnings, notices, and penalties for license violations."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}