Dr Yaseen to Quit PTA Next Month

Ahmed Rayyan

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr Mohammad Yaseen will quit the authority next month on the completion of his four-year service term.

Sources close to him said that chairman does not want to continue his job in authority as he already spent tiring seven years in the organization and contributed outstandingly to the nation’s service.

Dr Yaseen joined PTA in 2005 and promoted to become the board member of the authority and head of technical department. In 2008, he was appointed as Chairman of the authority for four-year tenure.

During the period, Dr Yaseen performed a tremendous role in enhancing competition in the cellular sector and maintaining subscribers’ database through registration of unclaimed SIMs and blocking of unauthorized connections.

Under his leadership, the authority along with cellular operators implemented various systems to streamline the cellular sector through all possible ways to stop the illegal sale and use of unregistered SIMs.

PTA launched “789 SIM Activation System for introducing sale of post-activated SIMs of cellular operators. It implemented “668 SIM Information System” in October 2009 and May 2011.

Dr Yaseen has done extraordinary work to bring out latest technology in the country particularly the internet services through broadband technology. It may not wrong to say that the entire sector was developed under his leadership and investors’ friendly policy.

PTA chief is not only technical sound but he is good at economics therefore the call rates and broadband services are available at low rates in the country, a friend of him said.

He took strict actions against the operators particularly in the issue of services and issued show-cause notices and determination order of penalties to several organizations, he added on the condition of anonymity. He successful implemented judiciary orders particularly in case of blocking Facebook, blasphemous websites.

Dr Yaseen had a dream to launch 3G technology in the country and he did a lot of homework on it particularly the awareness of customers investors and stakeholders of the telecom and IT sector. However, his dream did not come true in his service period.

On July 21^st, his job is going to be ended and he is reluctant to continue his career in the same organization though he may accept new assignment if the government appoints him for any task.  Otherwise, he may leave the country and likely to start his consultancy to private sector as if Perviaz Iftikhar of USF, sources added.