Islamabad – The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has uncovered that Jazz, the country’s leading telecom operator, overcharged its customers by a staggering Rs6.58 billion during the fiscal year 2023-24.
The audit report, released on Monday, revealed that a comparative review of Jazz’s weekly and monthly packages showed consumers were billed beyond the rates approved by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
“Jazz overcharged Rs6,583,690,860 from consumers during FY 2023-24,” the report stated, adding that such violations point to “poor regulatory oversight” on part of the PTA.
The report explained that PTA had issued approvals in February and August 2024, allowing Jazz to increase package rates by up to 15 percent per quarter and reduce incentives by 5 percent, provided prior intimation was given to the Authority. These approvals covered February–June and August–December 2024.
However, the audit highlighted that Jazz raised prices of multiple packages — including its popular Monthly Super Duper and Monthly Freedom bundles — far beyond the permitted limit. The company allegedly collected Rs722 million in excess charges from the Monthly Super Duper package alone, while other packages such as Weekly Super Plus, Weekly Freedom, Monthly Max, and Weekly Super Max also recorded significant overcharges.
The Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) directed PTA to submit complete records of the rate increases for verification. But according to the report, “PTA did not furnish the requisite record till the finalization of this report.”
The AGP recommended a full inquiry into the matter, along with fixing responsibility on those accountable.
Jazz has yet to issue a response to the audit findings.
