The Consumer Protection Court South in Karachi has ordered a private internet service provider to pay Rs. 50,000 in damages to a consumer over persistent service failures and inadequate customer support, in a ruling that reinforces the legal recourse available to Pakistani consumers facing unresolved complaints from telecom and internet providers.
The ruling was issued on a complaint filed by Khalique Ahmed, who alleged that he had lodged multiple complaints with the company over poor internet service and that the provider failed to address the issue despite repeated follow-up. In its verdict, the court directed the company to pay Rs. 50,000 in damages directly to the consumer and additionally ordered it to deposit a separate Rs. 5,000 fine into the national exchequer, a penalty structure that distinguishes between compensating the affected individual and penalising the company for its conduct under consumer protection law.
Beyond the monetary penalties, the court further ordered the internet service provider to improve its overall service quality and ensure uninterrupted internet access for its consumers going forward, extending the ruling beyond the individual complaint to address the provider’s broader service obligations. The case highlights the increasing willingness of Pakistani consumers to pursue formal legal channels when service providers fail to resolve persistent connectivity and support issues, particularly as internet access becomes more deeply embedded in daily personal, professional, and educational activities across the country.
The ruling comes against the backdrop of a telecom sector that has seen substantial regulatory and infrastructure activity in recent months, including the completion of Pakistan’s Next Generation Mobile Services spectrum auction in March, which generated $510 million for the national exchequer. At the time, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman said the government had fulfilled its responsibility by conducting the auction and that it was now the responsibility of telecom operators to translate the acquired spectrum into improved services for consumers, a sentiment that this case’s outcome suggests still has direct relevance.
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