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Pakistan's telecommunication business

For decades in Pakistan telephone connections was the purview of the government. These were given on priority basis. Ordinary people who were in no particular field could not get a telephone connection for years. The procedure had tremendous red tape.  Strangely enough the application was addressed to the president of Pakistan, as if he had nothing better to do than approve telephone connections.
It was some time later that civil servants realised that telephone connection was not privilege but a business like any other. The PTCL was apparently 'privatised' but it remained a monopoly. Land connections belonged to only one organisation namely PTCL and no other company 26% shares belong to Etisalat Telecommunications instead of allowing private Pakistani companies own. it. The rest of PTCL is still owned by the government.
In all fairness privatisation should have meant that PTCL's different operations should have been sold to different Pakistani companies.  There should not be a single land line operator but several. The entire privatisation scheme is nothing but a racket nothing else. The government does not want to let go of its control.
Etisalat is a foreign company, with foreign interests and its method of operations make absolutely no sense whatsoever. For instance in terms of geographical range the territories which are right next to Pakistan - their call charges should be less in comparison. Call Saudi Arabia is  many times more expensive than calling USA or Canada. Calling all the countries in Asia and Africa should also cost lot less. But because the deal inherently was corrupt and with bad intentions - this was outcome of selling shares to a foreign country - instead of Pakistani companies buy them.
If the shares had been sold to Pakistani businessmen the government would only receive money in rupees not in US dollars. The people who sold the shares are criminals. They took those billions of dollars and escaped.
PTCL businesses should be owned by Pakistanis only. It operations should be sensible not stupid like PTCL has made them. Because PTCL is run by Etisalat the TV channels being offered are pathetic. It is as if some idiot Sheikh has come over and decided what Pakistanis should be watching. People have given up - they do not like the channels PTCL is offering - but the government does not care.
State control has to go and shady deals with foreign companies have to end.  Foreign telecommunication companies keen of investing in Pakistan should be allowed to do so but the arrangements should be clear and can be scrutinised by the public. Call charges should be fair.

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