ISLAMABAD: A cellular company has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for initiating an inquiry in connection with alleged illegal award of next generation mobile service.

Last month, NAB had issued a call-up notice to Naveed Butt, chief regulatory head of Ufone, in connection with an “inquiry against management of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for illegal award of next generation mobile service (LTE/4G) to M/s PTML/Ufone”.

The notice stated that “the competent authority has taken the cognisance of an offence committed by the subject accused persons under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999”.

It also stated that the subject inquiry revealed that “you are in possession of information/evidence regarding illegal award of LTE/4G to M/s PTML/Ufone without auction under pretext of technology neutrality concept which relates to the commission of said offence”.

In the petition, Ufone contended before the high court that NAB had initiated the inquiry in order to harass its management.

The petition said the anti-graft watchdog was seeking information from Ufone about the award of LTE which was already available with it or it could be obtained from the regulator of cellular companies.

The cellular company claimed that the entire process of initiating the inquiry was based on mala fide intentions and requested the court to set aside the call-up notice. It cited NAB, the PTA and the Ministry of Information Technology as respondents in its petition.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2019