Thread by @aamir_ibrahim01

I want to give an update on the events from the last few days:

Two days ago, FBR sealed Jazz offices. We find this choice of action coercive and unfortunate. It distorts the truth and shatters investor confidence. This has to do only with an adverse order passed by the appellate tribunal and is not related to customers - withholding tax, GST

Seizing an office may be an appropriate response for criminals and extortionists, but not for a company that has served Pakistan's core economy for over two and a half decades, having seen several political cycles.

Jazz represents the resilience of growing telecom infrastructure and the brand loyalty of 64 million Pakistanis. This overt display of force is disproportionate.

Jazz, under the VEON group, has invested USD 9.5 billion in Pakistan – we actively contribute to innovation in health, agriculture, education, and entrepreneurship.

Jazz since 1994, has invested USD 9.5 billion in Pakistan. With PKR 251 billion taxes paid in the last six years by Jazz, including PKR 47 billion as corporate tax, there seems to be little appreciation of how our law-abiding stance is impacted negatively by this action.

According to @GSMA, Pakistan has the lowest telecom tariffs and the highest taxes. Our room for growth benefits the government, related industries, and the ordinary person, yet policy regimes block business growth and maintain unpredictability.

Pakistan ranks lowest in terms of Internet readiness in South Asia. As someone who works hard to call investors to Pakistan, I find the regulatory environment standing at the opposite end of our national ambitions.

If we truly want a #DigitalPakistan, a change in the unilateral approach is necessary, as is the need to call out authority abuse.

Uninterrupted telecom and 4G services have been our promise, and we have kept it, despite covid19 lockdowns, regardless of disruptions to our tower fuel supplies during Karachi torrential floods. Even now, with the office closure, Jazz continues to serve and connect the country.

The most challenging part of the last few days is the disappointment of our staff. Many professionals, from engineers to designers, put in endless hard work into our digital products and services. The 11,000 people who have been part of our workforce care for reputation.

The personal attacks and those the company as faced notwithstanding, I stand my ground firmly because I have full faith in the integrity of our legal decisions. We haven't made any violations of law; and I assure you of an untarnished legacy of sincere intentions.

My responsibility as a Jazz leader is not something I take lightly. The focus I have is to ensure steady progress of 4G, mostly to reduce Pakistan's wealth gap. We have over 22 m 4G users, yet feel that real success is about nudging 100 m more Pakistanis online, inshallah.

I want to thank several private sector CEOs who have reached out in solidarity to me. Some officials reached out from the government; our partners at @oicci_pakistan, @ThePBC_Official, etc have condemned these actions against Jazz. Lastly, I want to thank the media too.

Please think of your kindness towards Jazz as support to create a level-playing-field for investors – we expect a merit-based system, free from harassment and intimidation, where economic stability and the consistency of policies are priorities. That is the Pakistan we pray for.

Nothing changes as far as our commitment to lead #DigitalPakistan. The laws of the country in letter and spirit will continue to be paramount to us. Having said that, we will not be bowed down by the wrong interpretations of the law.