“Every meeting ends and the network gets even worse”
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication turned its session on Monday into an open grilling of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the country’s mobile operators, as lawmakers vented years of frustration over Pakistan’s deteriorating telecom services. Committee chairman Syed Amin ul Haq presided over the heated session, where members directed sharp criticism at both the regulator and the operators, saying network quality has only worsened over time despite constant meetings.
Committee member Ahmed Ateeq voiced the sharpest frustrations of the day. He told the committee that networks are not functioning from his constituency all the way to Karachi, and demanded concrete data on fiber deployment during the period under discussion. Notably, he pointed out that discussions on the issue have continued for two and a half years — yet no meaningful solution has emerged. His frustration reflected a broader sentiment across the committee room. “Every meeting ends and the network gets even worse,” one member remarked, according to TechJuice’s account of the session.
The timing of the outburst matters. Pakistan’s mobile subscribers now number in the hundreds of millions, and the committee’s own proceedings show the issue has been on its agenda for years. In September, the same committee had already decided to summon telecom companies over persistent network problems, after PTA officials disclosed that dozens of show-cause notices and warning letters had been issued to operators with limited effect.
WhatsApp calls drop in Islamabad, 4G died after 5G, 3G dead in Thatta
The complaints raised in the session were strikingly specific — and instantly recognisable to anyone who uses a mobile phone in Pakistan. One member told the committee that WhatsApp calls drop even in Islamabad, arguing that if service fails in the federal capital, rural areas must be facing far worse conditions. The committee demanded immediate accountability from operators over the state of the networks.
Committee member Aasia Ishaq raised a pointed concern about 5G. She said 4G stopped working properly after 5G services were launched, and asked whether members should approach the Supreme Court for relief. Another member highlighted that 3G does not even function in Thatta. The 5G question has been simmering in parliament for weeks — lawmakers questioned the 5G rollout in the National Assembly last month, asking why the country was moving to next-generation connectivity when users were still dissatisfied with existing services.
PTA’s defence: 41 districts inspected, but fines blocked by court injunctions
The PTA chairman acknowledged the problems, at least to some extent. He confirmed to the committee that the authority has conducted inspection tours across 41 districts to assess the quality of telecom services on the ground. However, he admitted that issuing show-cause notices remains PTA’s last resort as an enforcement tool.
More strikingly, he revealed that telecom companies obtain court injunctions against fines imposed by the regulator — effectively blunting the PTA’s enforcement power. He also identified power outages as a major obstacle to network quality, noting that prolonged load-shedding disrupts mobile towers and reduces network availability.
The enforcement numbers tell their own story. In the September session, PTA officials had informed the committee that four show-cause notices were issued to operators in the previous six months, and that over a longer period the authority had issued 48 show-cause notices and 22 warning letters, with penalties of Rs68.9 million imposed. The maximum permissible fine against a telecom company is Rs350 million — a figure that now looks increasingly theoretical given the court injunctions.
“No compromise on quality”: the minister responds, the chairman orders action
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja offered a measured response to the criticism. She acknowledged that the committee members’ frustration was entirely valid, but maintained that telecom services are gradually improving. She also invited committee members to submit formal policy recommendations for the ministry to consider.
Notably, Khawaja drew an international comparison during her remarks. She pointed out that even the United States lacks telecom coverage on motorways and highways — a comment that appeared aimed at tempering expectations around rural connectivity in Pakistan.
Chairman Amin ul Haq closed the session with a firm directive. He said there should be no compromise on quality of service, and ordered all telecom companies to improve their services immediately. The committee also briefly discussed the PDA Amendment Bill, with the Law Secretary confirming consultations with the People’s Party and calling the bill a top priority for the next parliamentary session.
What happens next — and why scepticism is warranted
For ordinary consumers, the session’s message was blunt: the country’s lawmakers are as frustrated with dropped calls, dead signals and stalled data as the public. The committee’s demand for immediate improvement, backed by the chairman’s no-compromise directive, puts the PTA and the operators formally on notice.
But the committee’s own record invites scepticism. After two and a half years of meetings that members themselves say made things worse, not better — and with the regulator admitting its fines are blocked in court and its notices are a last resort — the question is whether this week’s directive produces better signals or simply another round of meetings. Pakistan’s mobile users, from Islamabad’s dropped WhatsApp calls to Thatta’s dead 3G, will be watching the bars on their phones for the answer.
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