The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has begun removing internet and telecom cables across several areas of Lahore without prior notice or authorization, leading to widespread service disruptions and financial losses for businesses and users.
The disconnections have been reported in Garden Town, Johar Town, Gulberg, Cavalry Ground, and Walton Road, where LESCO teams allegedly cut telecom infrastructure installed on utility poles.
Industry sources say the move stems from LESCO’s demand for a 400% hike in Right of Way (RoW) charges for poles carrying telecom cables, along with its insistence that operators like PTCL and NTC sign new undertaking letters that contradict the federal government’s approved RoW Policy (2020) and the Prime Minister’s “Digital Pakistan” vision.
In response, the Pakistan Telecommunication Access Providers Association (PTAPA) has written to LESCO’s CEO, the PTA chairman, the Secretary of IT and Telecom, the Deputy Commissioner, and PTA’s Zonal Director.
The association has called for an immediate halt to cable removals, urging authorities to open proper consultations with licensed operators and ensure uninterrupted telecom and digital services across Lahore in line with national policy.
PTAPA warned that LESCO’s actions directly violate the government’s RoW Policy 2020 and undermine the “Digital Pakistan” initiative, noting that other state entities such as the CDA, Pakistan Railways, and NHA already allow free RoW access for telecom infrastructure projects.