Karachi: A 120-kilometer long fiber optic project for 36 cities of Northern Punjab has been won by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).
The technical evaluation of fiber optic project for Balochistan has been concluded, part of the effort to bring the cutting edge of technology to what has been a traditionally a peripheral area, Pervaiz Iftikhar, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) informed Pakistan Today.
Wateen and PTCL both have equal opportunity to execute this lucrative contract, he said. In Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa a broadband project for its two cities Noshehra and Charsadda has been advertised with bids closing in a month’s time, he added. Similarly, a rural development project for Khuzdar, Gwadar, Qallat, and Mastung in Balochistan will be auctioned later this year.
Pervaiz indicated that, ‘we are looking forward to the approval of the budget of the funds this month as we are left with only six months to complete all these projects; I hope it will be done successfully.’ He informed that the reduced budget of Rs 3 billion would be final approval would be granted shortly as the audit finance committee of the funds had already given its clearance.
Many projects of Universal Service Funds (USF) are awaiting the approval of the budget of the funds, as they are ready to enter the operational stage. The process for several projects has all but been completed but they have been suspended.
It is pertinent to mention that the USF has been technically non-functional for the better part of this year. It is to hold its first board meeting this month after a hiatus of nearly seven months.
Some core decisions would be taken in the board meeting besides the approval of its annual budget which includes the restoration of the funds’ secretary Hassan Shajju, who was suspended by Lateef Khosa earlier this year.
