ISLAMABAD: The Telecommunication Companies (Telcos) and Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) are likely to get into hot waters as a Special Committee has recommended probe into what is believed to be a mega scam involving Base Transceiver System (BTS) Towers installation on the government land in the capital, in violation of the rules.
A Special Committee comprising of technocrats including Tayiba Ibrahim, Syed Muhammad Ali Bukhari and Director General (DG) Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) has submitted its inquiry report to the Prime Minister (PM) Secretariat with findings that many telecom operators using or providing the services to number of companies including MKZ, SACTEL, TeleCard, NADRA, PAKCOM, TLR/CPM, QUBEE and AUGREE are not registered with Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA)/Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI).
The project Management Unit (PMU) of MCI had granted permission for installation of a total 838 BTS towers on CDA/MCI land, to cellular companies against projection of accumulated revenue of Rs. 72.87 million annually.
According to copy of the inquiry report available with ‘The News Today’, MCI office granted 127 licenses of Mobilink BTS towers against annual revenue of Rs. 19.60 million; 116 licenses to Ufone company against annual revenue of amounting Rs. 10.25 million; 130 licenses to Telenor against annual revenue projection of Rs. 9.5 million; 63 licenses to Warid company against annual revenue of Rs. 13.65 million; 51 licenses to Wi-tribe to install BTS towers against annual revenue generation of Rs. 6.66 million. Similarly, Modarba-Al-Mali was granted 5 licenses of BTS towers against a projected revenue of Rs. 0.448 million; 23 licenses were approved to MKZ against annual revenue collection of Rs. 3.195 million; 6 licenses to PTCL BTS towers against annual revenue projection of Rs. 2.09 million and 7 licenses were granted to Wateen Telecom to install BTS towers against accumulated revenue projection of Rs. 0.446 million annually.
The inquiry report further revealed that the Directorate of Municipal Administration/MCI office issued a letter to the competent authority to inquire about the status of telecom operators including MKZ, SACTEL, TeleCard, NADRA, PAKCOM, TLR/CPM, QUBEE and AUGREE with PTA as these unregistered operators may pose threat to national security and might be a source of grey trafficking.
The special committee has recommended forensic audit of records pertaining to accounts/stocks/assets of the advertisement and BTS companies benefiting out of the illegal licensing as it is necessary to assess the revenue transaction of these grey companies during the period after the cancellation of the licenses in August 2013.
It has also been recommended by the committee in the inquiry report that provincial departments of Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan provinces be also taken into confidence on the ongoing inquiry into illegal mobile towers, especially provincial offices of Special Branch and intelligence agencies.
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