Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) ko Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) ne Telenor Pakistan aur Orion Towers ka acquisition approve kar diya hai, jo 18 mahinon ke intizaar ke baad mumkin hua. CCP ne ye faisla extensive sharaait ke sath diya hai taake monopoly aur anti-competitive practices se bacha ja sake. CCP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu ne is merger ko “duniya ke sabse complicated transactions me se ek” qarar diya aur wazahat ki ke approval ke sath kuch strict conditions lagayi gayi hain. Ye sharaait is baat ko ensure karengi ke market me healthy competition barkarar rahe aur consumers ko faida mile.
PTCL ab Telenor Pakistan ke 100% shares aur Orion Towers acquire karega, lekin sharaait ye hain ke separate boards aur independent management maintain ki jayein, taake cross-subsidization aur favoritism ka khatra na ho. CCP ne 5 saal tak monitoring ka process bhi tayar kiya hai. Har quarter independent third-party auditor PTCL aur MergeCo ki compliance report CCP ko submit karega. Agar sharaait violate hoti hain, to divestiture ka clause bhi apply hoga.
Sharaait ke Key Points:
- Separate Boards aur Management: PTCL aur MergeCo ko alag boards aur management rakhna hoga.
- Leadership Standards: Senior management aur CEOs ke liye strict integrity aur competency requirements. Etisalat ensure karegi ke leadership professional ho.
- Independent Audit: Quarterly reports aur compliance monitoring ke liye third-party reviewer.
- Infrastructure Access: Sab telecom operators ko non-discriminatory access milega aur interconnection offers PTA ke approval ke sath honge.
- Pricing & Consumer Protection: Wholesale aur retail pricing me predatory pricing mana hai. Service quality standards aur PTA tariff approvals ke sath compliance mandatory hai.
- Efficiency Pass-Through: PTCL aur MergeCo ko apni claimed efficiencies consumers ko better services aur infrastructure investment ke zariye dikhani hongi.
CCP Member Salman Amin ne kaha ke ye sharaait specifically is liye lagayi gayi hain taake predatory pricing, favoritism aur market barriers na bane, aur regulatory oversight CCP aur PTA dono ke zariye continue rahe. Telenor Asia aur Jazz ke CEOs ne CCP ke decision ko welcome kiya aur kaha ke ye telecom industry ko mazboot karega, resources ko expand karne ke liye use karna aur digital growth ko tez karna mumkin banayega. Agar PTA bhi approval de deti hai, to merged entity PTCL-Ufone aur Telenor Pakistan ka combination 70 million subscribers ke sath market me dusre number par aa jayega, Jazz ke 74 million subscribers ke just neeche, aur Zong 52 million subscribers ke sath teesre number par hoga.
Is merger ka maqsad service quality improve karna, product offerings expand karna aur 5G rollout ke zariye technological innovation ko tez karna hai, jabke market me healthy competition aur consumer interests ki protection bhi ensure ki gayi hai.
Final Decision ke Liye PTA ka Faisla
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) se ummeed hai ke woh PTCL ke zariye Telenor Pakistan ke acquisition par apna faisla November ke aakhir tak jari karegi. Jab PTA no-objection certificate (NOC) issue kar dega, to Telenor Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) aur State Bank of Pakistan se zaroori approvals ke liye raabta karegi. Management ke tabdeel hone ke baad, merger ki request final authorization ke liye dobara PTA ke paas wapas bheji jayegi.