The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Zong to refund over Rs2 billion improperly collected from customers as service, maintenance, and operational fees. The court dismissed Zong’s appeal against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) directive to return Rs2.02 billion collected between April 26 and July 12, 2019, citing a Supreme Court ruling that deemed such charges unlawful.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, presiding over the case, highlighted that telecom operators, including Zong, had imposed a Rs10 service fee on every Rs100 prepaid card, which the Supreme Court declared invalid in November 2018. The issue originated from public complaints regarding excessive deductions on mobile top-ups, leading to a Supreme Court interim order prohibiting such charges.
Although telecom operators assured the Supreme Court in March 2019 that service fees had ceased, Zong continued to impose them. The PTA, acting on the Supreme Court’s directives, demanded disclosure of collected charges after April 24, 2019. Zong failed to comply, prompting the PTA to mandate refunds as balance credits without restrictions.
Zong contested the PTA’s directive in the IHC, which ultimately rejected the appeal, declaring it “not maintainable.” The court upheld the PTA’s order, emphasizing compliance with consumer protection regulations. The decision ensures refunds to affected customers and reinforces accountability in the telecommunications sector.
 has directed Zong to refund over Rs2 billion improperly collected from customers as service, maintenance, and operational fees. The court dismissed Zong’s appeal against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) directive to return Rs2.02 billion collected between April 26 and July 12, 2019, citing a Supreme Court ruling that deemed such charges unlawful.){kind=link}