RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: President of the SITE Association of Industry (SAI) Asad Nisar Barkhurdaria has urged the Ministry of Telecommunication to take needed action against the PTCL officials and technical staff who failed in removing faults and restoring the telecommunication system in SITE industrial area, so far.

“PTCL’s landline telecommunication system in SITE Industrial Area has collapsed after recent rainfalls. The 70% services to industries have been affected whereby the landlines and broadband went out of order after topical rainfalls in Karachi,” he said, complaining that the PTCL staff was responsible for this inordinate delay.

SAI president said that management of the PTCL including GMs and DG level officers were turning a deaf ear to SAI’s complaints. He said that no practical efforts have been made to rectify the faults by the PTCL high-ups in Karachi.

Barkhurdaria further complained that PTCL was charging bills for the period when telephone service was dead and other services were also out of order. “This is highly unethical and unfair,” he said, adding that the complaint system was automated but response to complaints was not satisfactory. He said PTCL officials were busy in lip-service. SAI president expressed his concern over existing fragile communication system being maintained by PTCL which had frequently remained out of order in the wake of rains in Karachi since last month. He said that telephonic and other services were momentarily restored and went out of order within short span of time.