NEW DELHI: Noting that the 2003 Telecom policy was outdated, the Sindh High Court has restrained federal government from issuing Long Distance and International (LDI) licenses.

A bench led by Justice Nadeem Akhtar has also directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to draw up a new telecom policy. It issued the stay order over the PTA notification which was challenged by private telephone operators.

According to the petition submitted by Telecard Limited, Redtone Telecommunications and Multinet Pakistan, LDI licenses were issued back in 2003 according to the deregulation policy and they were subjected to renewal after five years. The petitioners also mentioned that the fee for prescription was $500,000 back in 2003 but after expiry in 2008 there has been no revision in the policy.

While the Pakistan Information and Technology Ministry and the PTA were ready to-re-issue licences, the petitioners argued that these were sought to be issued on the same fee of $500,000 despite the desperate need for revision in policy and licence fee.