ISLAMABAD – If you ever recharged your phone to make a call or to activate a package, but it vanished before you could even use it, you are not alone. Scores of users claim the same experience, reporting unexplained deductions and subscriptions they never requested amid allegations of hidden value-added services and automatic activations.
Jazz finds itself under scrutiny as allegations of hidden value-added services and unauthorized activations fuel public outrage and regulatory attention. What was once routine telecom experience turned into debate over transparency and consumer rights, with users demanding answers and accountability.
Mobile users are once again crying foul over unauthorized balance deductions and hidden subscriptions, claiming telecom giants are draining prepaid accounts without consent. A viral post reignited outrage after allegations that services were secretly activated on a SIM, despite the user never requesting them, resulting in rapid depletion of mobile credit and repeated demands for fresh recharges.
According to claims, multiple value-added services were found active on the number, silently deducting Rs70–Rs80 per day. The user insisted phone was basic keypad device without internet apps, raising questions about how subscriptions were enabled in the first place. Consumers across social media echoed similar horror stories, describing disappearing balances, so-called unlimited packages that end early, and unexplained charges, long-standing grievances in Pakistan’s telecom sector.
Amid users’ ire, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority instructed mobile operators to get explicit customer consent before activating any value-added services, following complaints about unauthorized subscriptions and balance deductions. Users are advised to monitor subscriptions through official apps to avoid unexpected charges.
The regulator introduced Mobile Tariff Regulations, 2025, requiring operators with significant market power to seek approval before tariff changes, while other providers may set prices independently but remain subject to oversight if pricing harms consumers. PTA emphasized consumer protection alongside market sustainability, noting that mobile data prices in Pakistan remain among the lowest in the region.
While Jazz and other companies insist they comply with billing standards, critics argue that transparency remains inadequate and that customers continue to bear the cost of opaque practices.
