PTCL, Link Dot pay fines in ICH ruling

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has recovered Rs495 million in partial penalties from Long Distance International (LDI) operators in the long-running International Clearing House (ICH) case, following the tribunal’s endorsement of the CCP’s original decision. The recovery includes Rs458m from Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) and Rs37m from M/s Link Dot Net. The Competition Appellate Tribunal recently upheld CCP’s findings, which declared the ICH arrangement anti-competitive and unlawful. The ICH, introduced in 2012, routed all incoming international calls through a single PTCL-controlled gateway, eliminating market competition.