The government has intervened to halt a proposal to rebrand the merged Ufone-Telenor entity under the global “e&” brand, amid legal and governance concerns over the removal of the word “Pakistan” from the telecom operator’s corporate identity and questions over whether the Ufone board had the authority to approve such a change. The intervention came after the Ufone board, which includes a sitting senator and two federal secretaries among its government nominated directors, approved the proposed “e&” brand name for the merged entity, even though the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited board had earlier deferred the same proposal.
The decision reportedly prompted an immediate review at senior levels of government. Officials are now considering seeking an opinion from the Law Division on whether the board of a subsidiary company can independently approve the branding of a merged entity before all legal, regulatory, and corporate formalities under the merger framework have been completed. Pending that opinion, the branding exercise has effectively been paused.
The proposed identity change follows Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited’s acquisition of Telenor Pakistan and the subsequent integration of the two mobile operators, creating one of the country’s largest telecom companies. The move to replace the long established Ufone identity with the global “e&” brand has raised concern within government circles over the disappearance of the word “Pakistan” from the corporate identity of a strategically significant telecom operator. Sources indicate the matter may ultimately require federal government approval, particularly since e& has liabilities of around $800 million linked to Pakistan that remain outstanding, a factor that has added further scrutiny to the rebranding push. The federal government’s 67 percent stake in the Ufone-Telenor merged entity further underscores its role in determining the outcome.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, in a letter dated June 16, 2026, had approved the brand name and directed the company to notify the authority upon the completion of the amalgamation under applicable law and before any commercial launch or marketing campaign for the “e&” brand. In a subsequent letter dated July 2, the authority reiterated that the company must notify it upon the legal completion of the amalgamation and prior to any commercial launch or campaign. The episode has also drawn attention to broader governance practices at state owned enterprises, with scrutiny falling on the accountability of government nominated board directors as the rebranding process remains on hold pending further legal clarity.
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