The federal government has taken an active role in facilitating the long-pending merger between Telenor Pakistan and PTCL, a development seen as critical for the smooth rollout of the country’s first 5G spectrum auction. The merger, which involves strategic consolidation of two major telecom players, had been facing procedural delays, primarily due to pending approvals from regulatory authorities, including the Competition Commission of Pakistan.
Sources confirm that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially directed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to engage with stakeholders and remove obstacles delaying the merger. This move came after a high-level meeting between the prime minister and a senior delegation from Etisalat, the UAE-based telecom operator that holds a majority stake in PTCL. During the meeting, the delegation formally requested the government’s help in pushing the merger process forward, citing the strategic importance of completing the transaction before the 5G auction.
PM Sharif reportedly assured the Etisalat team of the government’s full support, noting that a timely resolution of the matter was in the national interest, particularly as Pakistan positions itself for 5G adoption. The consolidation of PTCL and Telenor is viewed as a key step in building the financial and operational scale required to deploy next-generation telecom infrastructure across the country. The merger would combine the extensive infrastructure of PTCL with Telenor’s established subscriber base and digital capabilities.
Currently, the merger is held up by regulatory review processes at CCP, which is assessing potential impacts on market competition. However, government officials believe the merger can proceed in a way that ensures fair competition while enabling faster digital expansion. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is now expected to lead a series of meetings with telecom regulators, company executives, and other stakeholders to align policy and regulatory frameworks and accelerate approval timelines.
Telecom industry experts see this development as a necessary policy step to ensure that Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction proceeds without uncertainty in the market. The auction, expected later this year, is poised to attract significant investment from domestic and international telecom companies, but the delay in the Telenor-PTCL merger has raised concerns about market clarity and competitive dynamics.
The role of Etisalat has also added weight to the matter, as its investments in Pakistan’s telecom infrastructure have long been a cornerstone of bilateral economic cooperation. With government support now actively in motion, stakeholders hope the merger will soon receive the green light, setting the stage for renewed growth in Pakistan’s telecom sector. The resolution of this issue is likely to influence investor sentiment and regulatory clarity ahead of the landmark 5G rollout.
