The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, held a heated session on the future of Pakistan’s telecom sector, raising questions over the long-delayed 5G spectrum auction, unresolved legal disputes, PTCL’s pending $800 million payment to the government, and the potential exit of Telenor from Pakistan.
Officials from the Ministry of IT briefed the committee on preparations for the 5G auction, revealing that Pakistan currently has 600 MHz spectrum available, the same as Bangladesh, while Saudi Arabia has already advanced to 1,200 MHz. “If we want to increase revenue, we need to expand spectrum availability,” officials said. They warned that while the world is moving toward 6G, Pakistan risks falling decades behind.
Senator Humayun Mohmand urged the ministry to push courts for an early resolution of spectrum-related cases that have stalled progress. PTA officials confirmed that a consultant had been hired six months ago, but the consultant advised that Sun TV spectrum disputes be resolved before moving forward with the auction.
Senator Anusha Rahman recommended including NAB and AGPR representatives in the Auction Advisory Committee to ensure transparency. “If NAB is not part of the process, tomorrow there will be audit objections and corruption cases,” she said. PTA officials confirmed that NAB’s inclusion in the supervisory committee had already been proposed.
The committee also took up the issue of the long-pending Telenor-Ufone merger, with members warning that Telenor’s exit from Pakistan could trigger serious quality-of-service issues. Senator Rahman blamed PTA’s policies for Telenor’s decision to leave and urged the government to engage the company directly to prevent its exit.
Sharp criticism was directed at PTCL for failing to clear $800 million owed to the government and for not conducting audits through the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) despite Supreme Court rulings. Audit officials insisted that PTCL, where the government holds majority shares, is legally bound to AGP audits. Ministry of IT officials claimed PTCL’s current management has little interest in resolving the dispute.